If you're visiting Kauai and looking for a local lunch spot, Pono Market is a must. We stopped in for lunch and ordered a little bit of everything: pork lau lau (which was a hit with my toddler, no less!), a couple of different poke options, and a plate with karaage and poke. I can't remember exactly which poke varieties we got, but I believe one was their shoyu poke and the other was a spicy ahi. Regardless, everything we ordered was absolutely delicious. This is exactly the kind of mom-and-pop spot I love finding while traveling. No frills, just friendly people serving great food at reasonable prices. The poke was fresh, the karaage was flavorful, and the lau lau was tender and comforting. The staff was welcoming, the portions were generous, and the prices were fair, especially considering the quality of the food. There are plenty of places to eat on Kauai, but spots like this are what make a trip memorable. We'll definitely be back the next time we're on the island. read more

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Pono market was legit everything they say it is on tik tok! the fish was super fresh. They also have options for poke bowls if you'd like, they offer half and half options of ahi fish just different flavors. If that make sense. Honestly loved it so much! Service was super fast paced everyone going in knew what they wanted and it was also lunch time so everything was moving fast! It is a store like place, so it kind felt like I was walking into a deli but with fish options! read more

Pono Market - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

FISH MARKET, full of regulars who know how to order, not tourist heavy. (serves hot food, too) But, if you're like us, and wanted POKE the internet told you was great, then just order 1 POKE BOWL (only 1 fish type offered, no frills, no pretty toppings, sorry Insta dorks) - and maybe add A SIDE of another poke. And take it, somewhere else, to eat. No tables or seats, in this market. We ate ours, in the car, before heading to the airport. It was delicious, really fresh. Opens at 6am, so has that "We just caught this" feel. And not as "Pricey" as some Yelp Reviewers claimed it to be. read more

Pono Market - 1 Bowl, with spicy ahi. Side of spicy salmon?? (probably the L.A. in me, missing salmon). Should've gone another ahi. Dined in our Car. - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Been coming to Kauai for seven years, and Pono Market just hits different from the rest. The market itself is small and the line can get long, but the service is quick, efficient, and worth the wait. The fish is unbelievably fresh, like melt-in-your-mouth fresh. Honestly tastes like butter. There are definitely other good poke spots on the island, but Pono continues to be my favorite and has never disappointed. It is a must for me at least once, twice, or even three times every trip. If you know, you know. read more

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I always love eating here when I'm visiting home! I got the Hapa Plate which comes with your choice of entree, potato Mac salad, spicy ahi, and rice. I chose to get Kalua pig as my entree it was super good. The Kalua was a little dry but that could have just been due to being on the top of the food storage container for a prolonged time. Staff is always really friendly and efficient. It's a small family-run place, so depending on what time you go, you may be contending with a long time. They're super popular and for good reason! read more

Pono Market - Hapa Plate - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

What an amazing place to eat! I went into just get a variety of Hawaiian food and was not disappointed. The folks at the counter were super friendly and helpful. I had their poke which was great. I also grabbed a prepackaged musubi and fried chicken and assumed it would be bad, but for it being cold and been sitting on the counter, the chicken was absolutely great. 100% recommend read more

Pono Market - Bunch of things - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

This market is an island favorite for all things poke, Hawaiian plates, chicken, spam masubis, lau laus, and many other traditional Hawaiian staples. Poke is prepared daily and with different dressings. Their daily selection entrees are different every day so you can build your own combo plate depending on what you're craving for. I absolutely loved their poke -- I tried three different flavors, and the mac salad was a hit for me. The hours are really limited because they sell out fast. And because they know they are a forever favorite so locals and tourists will line up to support especially during the lunch rush. Monday - Friday from 6am - 2pm Closed on the weekends. read more

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Probably the best meal we had in a week long food focused Kauai vacation. The poke was extremely fresh and deliciously seasoned. The Lau Lau was incredibly tender and tasted amazing. The shrimp rolls were packed with flavor and accompanied by a salty and spicy wasabi soy dipping sauce that really elevated the dish. While the fried chicken was great, it was overshadowed for me by the quality of the other dishes we tried there. The staff were extremely friendly and answered our questions and made us feel very welcome. The interior is nothing fancy and there is no on site seating, but there are plenty of great places to eat nearby. We took our meal a block down to Kauai Fruit Company (where we bought several truly amazing containers of fruit to accompany our meal) and sat at their picnic tables. read more

Pono Market - Shrimp roll - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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I haven't come here in years.So I came back to pick up some lunch.Of course parking was hard to find especially around lunch time.So I had there fried chicken plate with side order wonbuk kimchee.The food was good!.The portions was just right.Customer service was good.So if you want some fresh island poke come here.They also have daily specials,Hawaiian plate,Snacks,Sandwiches n more.The only thing is good luck finding parking?.But it worth it. read more

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This place is legit and definitely worth a stop if you like poke. I wish they had better hours, so if you want to come be sure to do so before 1:00 p.m. it's worth it, I promise. You can also check their website or Instagram for their daily specials so if you're here on the island for a few days, you can pick which day you want to go. Some foods they have everyday, like their poke. We got a few varieties of poke, including their sesame tako, shoyu salmon, and shoyu ahi. Also got a couple hot things, we got a little bit of their Kahlua pork, and a pork laulau. For everything it was around $40 which was a nice hearty meal. The poke was fantastic and made for some lunch later in the day. Remember there is no seating at this restaurant so whatever you buy you have to take out and eat elsewhere. read more

Pono Market - Kauai bagels for sale - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

It was such a good deal and made fresh. Everything tasted good. We wanted to try the fried chicken but they ran out. We also wanted to try the shoyu ahi instead of what was supposed to come with the sesame ahi, but I do regret this decision because the texture of the shoyu ahi was chewy/gummy. Still we enjoyed it and would come back to try all their other food options. Great local place. There was a line but they move quickly and they are still quite nice and friendly. It is take out only FYI. read more

Pono Market - #5 plate, 1 hot food (Kalua cabbage) with spicy ahi and shoyu ahi. (Supposed to be sesame ahi) - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

This is THE local spot for fresh, delicious, melt in your mouth, poke. We ordered the sesame ahi, hamachi, spicy salmon bowls. There are no additional toppings as some other poke places offer, but I prefer it this way because the taste and texture of the fish was so remarkably good, it didn't need to be masked by other ingredients. Fried chicken bowl was flavorful as well. Prices are very reasonable for the quality and service is fast and friendly. Be sure to visit before 11am so they don't sell out of fish. This place is the authentic homegrown island food I will be coming back for next time I am on the island. Mahalo for keeping it real read more

Best recommendation I got for local food in Kauai. This is a small family hole in the wall restaurant with delicious food. We were the only open for morning to 3 PM. So better get it while it's hot. I came here and was recommended to try the pork lau lau and the Poké bowl. My mouth is still salivating and craving this as I'm speaking here in the mainland. Besides that they also have cookies and other grab and items to go. Definitely recommend eating here if you really want to eat like the locals. The staff is friendly so if you have a question, just ask. read more

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I wanna cry because I miss their poke so much! Hole in the wall place that offers fresh poke, sushi, plates and beef jerky. Go in, pick up items, order your to-go, and pay. Take your food to the closest beach and enjoy your meal with a view! read more

Pono Market - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Pono Market was the last poke shop we would eat while visiting Kauai and I thought it was the best compared to the others. It might look like they have long lines but they limit the amount of people inside. And everything moves pretty fast because most of the food is already prepared. There's an option to order ahead by texting them but if you want to see the daily specials, visit in-person to see all the options! We ordered the #5 Plate which comes with a hot entree, rice, and sesame and spicy ahi poke. For the hot entree, we picked the fried chicken. On top of this, we also ordered pork lau lau and two spam musubis. Overall, a lot of food for two people but we wanted to try as much as we could. The poke was super fresh but I think the marinades could have had some more flavor. The portion size also isn't that big for the price. The fried chicken was solid though. The pork lau lau was delicious and I loved the little chunks of pork fat. For the musubis, we got Teri Chicken and Fried Chicken. Solid size for the price and very easy snack to take for the road. We ended up eating everything in or car with the A/C on but if you're okay with the heat, there's an outdoor dining area with food trucks nearby, or just walk over to the beach! read more

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The food is incredible. This was by far the best food we had during our week of exploring different options throughout the island. We tried the spicy ahi poke, the beef curry, sweet and sour ribs (name could be wrong), and the macaroni salad. It was all so delicious. The macaroni salad was the best I have had in a long time, and the curry was so good, we not only went back for more, but my husband vows to recreate it. We stumbled upon the Pono Market because we had parked right outside and decided to try it. The locals in line all agreed that everything is delicious and we couldn't go wrong with our order. There is no place to sit and it is not a fancy establishment on the inside or outside, but the food and service are excellent. We will definitely return the next time we visit Kaua'i. Highly recommend! read more

Pono Market - Pono Market front exterior - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

We tried the spam musubi, teri musubi, fried chicken musubi and the poke. The poke was just okay. It says on their sign it's treated with carbon monoxide as a preservative. I don't know if that's it, but it just wasn't my favorite. Texture and flavor weren't the best. It was kinda salty, not super flavorful, texture wasn't the best and it was on the pricey side. I wouldn't get it again. Musubi's were good and affordable, I would try the chicken next time. It seemed like a lot of locals got the chicken and the musubi. Maybe we didn't get the right stuff. read more

Pono Market - Poke - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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Best spicy poke ever! The ahi was fresh and the spice had just the right amount of kick. It was a nice touch to have furikake on the rice. This is a takeout market, not a tourist destination. A must stop for authentic poke. read more

Pono Market - Spicy poke - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Absolutely amazing food at an absolutely amazing price. If you come late, they might be out of certain entrees so beware. Definitely must go place to get some Hawaiian food. read more

Cute little market to grab delicious meals! You line up & tell the staff your order. They sell a lot of plates with hot & ready-to-go food. We were looking for a quick bite so we grabbed the premade spam musubi & chicken. Decent price & delicious! They also sold poke, adobo, & other meals. We want to go back to try their main meals soon!! Staff was so friendly & kind to us ! It's located on a busy street so we did Street parking right in front. read more

Pono Market - spam musubis & chicken ! - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

This was the best poke I had on the island. One of the few places that I could get tako/octopus since Foodland let me down. The guy that took our order was super patient with all of our questions and specific requests. Would highly recommend a visit here while you are on the island. The ordering system is in the style of a deli so you just peek through the glass at what looks yummy. The location is fairly small so you might miss it if you don't know what to look for. The parking can be a little tricky and is limited but we stopped there fairly early in the morning and were able to find street parking. read more

Pono Market is always one of my fave places to go whenever I visit Kauai. I like stopping by around opening time, grabbing poke, and taking it to the beach to catch the sunrise. It's just something I can't do back home in California. My favorites there are the shoyu ahi and the spicy ahi. The shoyu is clean and straightforward, and the spicy ahi really isn't too spicy, but you can tell there is a wee bit of spice there. Both are easy to keep eating and never get old to me. If you're staying around Kapaʻa and want a reliable spot for early food, this place is hard to beat. read more

Was on the hunt for some delicious poke and we found it! The fish was super fresh, the rice was perfect, and the sauce on top was so good- I wish I had asked for extra. We took it to the beach to eat with a view. read more

Pono Market - Sesame Ahi Poke, Spicy Ahi Poke, & Ocean Salad - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

I was surprised with the variety of hot food on the menu - but mainly came in here for the poke! Got their signature shoyu ahi and spicy ahi which taste good - I'm sure it would've tasted better earlier in the morning but I had to grab a quick bite before closing. Overall, pretty solid poke, but I gotta come back for some of their desserts! read more

Pono Market was referred to me by a local and I could not be happier that they put it on my radar! This absolutely adorable spit has packaged goods along with fresh items you cannot miss out on. I didn't get a chance to try their hot food during this visit, as I was on a mission to have their highly revered poke! Best poke I have ever had--Their mac salad was bomb! Period! The folks who work here put so much love into their food. They have created a cozy vibe & have friendly service. I cannot wait to come back the next time I visit the island. read more

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Went to try their famous Sesame ahi poke. A cozy market with a lot of items, but kept focus on just getting a basic poke bowl to try in the morning. - Spicy poke = the spicy mayo flavor I always love, it was mild and tasty. - Sesame poke = mild flavors but somehow good, I can see why it's popular. Rice was regular, not sushi rice that goes so well with poke. But the fish quality, even from frozen, was actually surprisingly good. Maybe they use the better cuts/sections of the ahi. The ube ball things they strategically place by the cashier got me to look and wonder and grab a pack, lol. Wasn't sure if it would be any good, but wow, it was excellent little ube baked things! Do grab these to try! Not too sweet and delicious little things! Think wife and kid ate up 6 and I only got 2. We were wishing we had gotten 2 packs... read more

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Five stars for the poke and poke bowls!! This takeout spot has become my favorite for melt in your mouth, fresh and flavorful poke (shoyu is my favorite). It's locally run and also offers plate lunches, desserts, and other Hawaiian foods. No fuss counter service, friendly staff, and authentic feel to it. I'll be back for my poke runs on my next trip! read more

Pono Market - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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TLDR : Nice small market for amazing local delicacies. Quick service and amazing options for filling meals. We went on a weekday during not so busy hours and we're helped by the team explaining their different options, their local delicacies and the specialities. Great experience for a quick but full meal! read more

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Local island fare, plate lunches (1,2,3 hot items, rice, Mac salad) make it a combo with fresh poke too. Hot entrees vary from chicken, Kalua pig, pork lau lau, chicken lau lau, and more. Numerous poke (all ahi) from soy, spicy, etc. you can also get sides from poke, lomi lomi salmon, salads, poi, lau lau, boxed sushi and musubi. Very reasonable prices. Order at counter, grab drinks or dessert and go. No seating indoors so everything is to go. Very authentic flavors, the lau lau is on point and delicious, lomi lomi is fresh and delicious. Must be authentic because the majority of customers are local! read more

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We were on an adventure to try out multiple poke shops while visiting Kauai, and Pono Market was one! - PARKING - There are a few street parking spots along the main road, as well as a few dirt lots. - FOOD - I usually tend to gravitate towards Salmon Poke, but trying both Salmon and Ahi here, I preferred the Ahi more! The Salmon was good, but there was something about the Ahi that stood out more. The fish seemed better quality, but maybe I also liked the seasoning on the Ahi more. My husband bought my food for me but I heard there are also premade items inside to buy. There are several souvenir shops and a beach nearby where you can walk around with your poke and enjoy your food. - OVERALL - A great spot to get some poke and other quick bites while looking around this area! read more

Local shop with poke, plates, and other hot or prepackaged snacks for sale! This was one of our many poke stops. Sadly they had already run out of their salmon poke when we came for a late lunch, so I opted for 2 of their ahi pokes instead, as well as some cucumber kimchi. The fish was fresh and tasty and the cucumber kimchi was refreshing! We took a short walk to the beach to eat our food by the shore and were blessed with a visit from a cute local pup! Overall, great spot to grab some quick and tasty bites. read more

Rude staff if you're a first timer and unsure about something. I didn't know what the side choices were for a plate and the worker looked at me weird then was sassy while answering my question about the options. Food is nothing to be bragging about. Don't waste your time here, go to Lawai'a in Lihu'e. One and done deal here. read more

This place closes at 2 so we had to figure out when we could get there going to or from Princeville. One morning we didn't have anywhere we needed to be so we left the house at 7:30am to go there. The only cars parked in Kapaa were in the area of Pono's. That was our first clue they catered to the locals. There was only 1 customer in front of us, and they had questions so it gave us time to see what we wanted. We ended up with 2 boxes which included rice, 2 kinds of poke and an entree. One of our boxes had pork adobo. It was good. Good enough to remind me to make Adobe when I get back to the mainland. But I have to say that if you don't eat pork fat you won't be happy, but it was delicious. It's been a couple of week since we were there. I think our 2nd box had kalua pork. It was good but I was happier with the Adobe. The next time I go to Kauai I will definitely try to get back to Pono Market. read more

Pono market has great Poke Bowls, friendly service and a great variety of other foods as well including Popos Cookies. read more

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Pono market was recommended to us by many of the locals that we met on the island, and they were right! The poke was like nothing I have ever tasted, it was so fresh and clean. The shoyu tuna was sublime as was the spicy tuna. My husband also got the chicken lau lau and while it wasn't my cup of tea, he seemed to love it! The chicken was tender I just didn't like the flavor of the ti leaves that it was steamed in. read more

Pono Market - 2 types of poke and chicken lau lau - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Small street parking. Place opens on weekdays only. Hot foods sold after 10am besides fried chicken when they open. Small mart with good poke and musubis to get before heading to the beach! read more

Pono Market - Outside - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

LOVE THIS MARKET! They have everything from spam to poke to bento boxes. I love that they had a grandpa standing at the door opening it for everyone coming in and out. It has a true family own feel to it. The person taking orders was so nice and literally said there are any combinations of food they can prepare for me and make a deal. He was so funny and nice. We ordered: 1. Poke bowl with Ahi Tuna. I can't remember the sauce I got but the poke bowl was good! Only $10 which I like that you can order a smaller one and have room to try the other items like masubi and desserts they have. Prices are very very reasonable. Overall, I would definitely be back! Excellent prices, great quality food and I love the family vibe and true Hawaiian feel of the market. read more

Pono Market - Masubi for only $5 - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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Great place for Poke. Visited the place twice and they recognized me on the second visit. If I lived here Id visit this place on the daily. The kimchi was my favorite!!!!!! I chose the spicy tuna poke and it was awesome. Ambiance, was kind and friendly, very nice. Quick service too. I hope to go back soon, this place was a highlight of my trip. Their hospitality was superb. read more

Pono Market - Sesame Poke, Spicy Poke, masubi, cucumber kimchi - Hawaiian Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Best poke on the island, went two days in a row. We had the spicy ahi bowl both times and it was perfect.

The spicy ahi was tasty and fresh, and the kimchi had a great, fresh flavor. The shrimp was delicious--large, well-cooked, and coated in a flavorful spicy sauce. The staff were very friendly and welcoming. They even asked which utensil I preferred, a fork or a spoon for the coconut taro cake. Great customer service! read more

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