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    The Dolphin

    3.5 (2.1k reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 9:00 pm

    The Dolphin Photos

    THE DOLPHIN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Casual
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The Dolphin

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    Ana R.

    Love the Dolphin and come here whenever I'm on the island. An absolute must. Friendly service, fun vibes, great food. The Flyin' Hawaiian with SEARED hamachi (ask for it seared it makes a difference) is THE BEST SUSHI ROLL I'VE EVER HAD. I ordered 3 last time. Truly incredible. All the nigiri I've had there is wonderful and I love the seafood chowder, miso soup, and the edamame with sesame oil. The Unagi hand roll is delicious. No notes.

    Outside
    Cristina M.

    Cute place with a pretty outdoor seating, came here for dinner when we were on the island and had the monchong grilled fish - it was a pretty big size and was delicious. Service was just okay.

    Some goods in the fish market side of the restaurant
    Mark Y.

    Been spending a lot of time on Kauai this past year and one of our favorite places to stop by and grab some sushi rolls is the Dolphin, not the main restaurant but the fish market on the backside of the restaurant. They have a nice assortment of fresh seafood, pok'e, rolls, and cuts by the pound. We usually get a couple rolls and share them, really like their spicy ahi and spicy salmon rolls. Fish is always super fresh and they are filling for sure. They also have some artisan products for sale like sauces, jellies, pasta, and nuts...a lot more as well. Definitely recommend here but come early, rolls often sell out quick.

    Calamari
    Kami M.

    We got to The Dolphin around 4:30 pm on a Friday to put our name on the list and ended up snagging one of the outside tables while we waited, which was perfect because they were happy to serve us drinks. We started with a passion fruit margarita and Moscow mules, both super refreshing and a great way to kick things off. For food, we shared the calamari and I have to say, I've never had calamari cut in such big, chunky strips before. It was different in a good way and really tasty. For my main, I ordered the fish and chips. The fish itself was good and cooked well, but I'd probably skip the fries next time since they were nothing special. We also had the opah, which was a really nice, flaky piece of white fish, along with vegetable skewers that paired well. The seafood chowder was delicious and comforting, and the hamachi was fresh and flavorful. Our waitress, Phoenix, was super friendly and made the experience even better. She's been there for 15 years and it really shows she knew the menu inside and out and took great care of us. Dessert was the ice cream pie and honestly... it was to die for. Overall, great drinks, solid food, and a fun vibe while waiting for a table. Definitely a spot I'd come back to.

    Bar area
    John K.

    Food is okay but extremely overpriced Service was a bit slow but okay Chairs are hard and uncomfortable Took a long time to get meals after order. Casual, open air environment

    Crispy calamari
    Yierou M.

    I was a little hesitant with all the mixed reviews but I'm so glad we had dinner here before we left! We chose to dine outdoors, it was early evening and the sun was still out. The service was great; we had someone with celiac and our server provided detailed options! We ordered the crispy calamari and stuffed mushrooms for apps; both delicious and freshly prepared. I didn't expected a calamari steak vs the usual rings but it was so yummy and tender! The boys all ordered fish and chips, I ordered the rainbow poki bowl and our god daughter ordered a gf sushi roll. The seafood was so fresh and all the food was delicious! I wish we had more room for dessert but we were so stuffed from all the delicious food!

    Diane M.

    Arrived during happy hour, when the restaurant was closed. The staff had a lot of attitude when we asked to put our name on the waitlist for dinner, hence taking a star off, but the space the patio is in is beautiful so we elected to order poke that came from the market and we sat outside the restaurant. This was some of the BEST poke I've ever had! Definitely glad we made the stop! Water jugs were empty which was frustrating. We just brought water in from our car.

    Firecracker and Hanalei rolls

    Amazing food! The fish was super fresh, atmosphere was emaculate, and service was great. It was so good that we went twice during our three day stay in Kauai. The calamari is also a must order!

    Laura C.

    Went to the dolphin fish market and ordered the rainbow poke bowl and seafood chowder. Both were literally amazing. Poke bowl is $25 so a bit pricey but was very fresh fish and the sauces were amazing

    Swordfish and potatoes
    Jana N.

    This was the first place we ate upon arriving in Kauai and ended up being a good choice. It's a cute spot right by waioli stream with outdoor and indoor seating. We ended up sitting inside right next to the bar which kept producing delicious looking tropical drinks. Our service was excellent and as a lot of these reviews mention, Brandt was our server and loved his energy and insider tips. It was difficult deciding what to get from all of the tasty sounding dishes on the menu, and with Brandt's help decided on the teriyaki ahi and swordfish. Don't be fooled, the teriyaki on the ahi is very light and it's great flavor, as well as with the special seasoning they gave. Cocktails here are also fabulous and was a great way to be welcomed to the island. Note that prices are a little on the higher side, the cocktails are around $20 and the teriyaki ahi was $46. These are fresh caught fish so the pricing seems about right and you can taste the difference.

    The dolphin
    Tiffany A.

    I used to love coming here - on my last trip on island, I came here probably 5 times. This time, I stopped by for a couple rolls and was a bit disappointed. The rolls I chose were large and fresh but were lacking in flavor. The hot sauce the waitress provided and the ginger is what gave it the most flavor. It sadly was nothing to write home about and underwhelming. Our waitress wasn't very personable and we were shocked at how it wasn't busy at all. I guess their quality went downhill?

    Eric S.

    Fun place to eat. The food is very high quality so expect whatever you order to come out tasty!! Service is good but a little on the arrogant side

    Little lizard in the side of the building
    Adrienne A.

    We stopped here right when they opened, it has a beautiful garden behind the restaurant. I had the fish sandwich and my husband had the calamari sandwich and both were very good. We both ordered Onion rings and should have only ordered one as we couldn't eat it all. Staff was friendly.

    Right next to the river... chill vibe.

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    Page 1 of 53

    The Dolphin Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Dolphin

    We are heading to Kauai next week. Does anyone know if the Hanalei Dolphin has reopened?

    Yes I believe 9/28.

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    Foodland - Karage(?)

    Foodland

    4.2(514 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    For me, Foodland Hawaii means a large selection of freshly made Poke. So during our trip to the…read morenorth shore of Kauai, we stopped into this location to explicitly get a variety for our lunch on the beach. It turned out great. Foodland is a Hawaiian original, founded in Honolulu on 1948 as Hawaii's first modern supermarket, and continues to be owned by the founder's family. It has 31 locations across the islands, but only one is still open in Kauai (the Lihue location closed during Covid). It's kinda hidden, so would need to explicitly look for it. It's a medium size supermarket. The poke station and hot deli are located together with the same associates manning both. It was busy and crowded around that area, so important to pull a number and wait. Once my number was called, got seven different items and the associate was patient. My wife doesn't like poke, so made herself a hot lunchbox for a good price (one Korean chicken drumstick at $2.50 each; cheddar cheese tots $2.79 for 0.31 lbs; one corn cob $1.29) while I made a deconstructed poke bowl ($3.38 for 2 scoops of white rice; chili garlic crunch ahi $4.80 for 0.30 lbs; Poke fresh ahi hawaiian style $11.56 for 0.34 lbs; california style ahi $4.80 for 0.30 lbs). My favorite was the California style, with the avocado. It reminds me of the taste of a California roll. Hate to admit it, but paying for almost triple the price for fresh ahi tuna isn't worth it...the from frozen was still great as a poke.

    The poke was delicious and super affordable at less than $10 for a bowl. I think the key is that…read moreyou need to ask for a sample to find your favorite poke flavor. We found that the spicy tuna was softer and more delicious than the salmon pokes. I can see how people would rate the poke less than 5 stars if you purchase a flavor that you end up not being a fan of. We also loved the crispy chicken thighs from the hot food section. Surprisingly the poke and crispy chicken from Foodland ended up being one of my favorite meals in Kauai!!

    Photos
    Foodland - Poke counter in the back right of the store

    Poke counter in the back right of the store

    Foodland
    Foodland - Inside view

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    Inside view

    The Hanalei Gourmet - Shrimp Ceviche

    The Hanalei Gourmet

    3.8(1.1k reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    This little local restaurant was a little hidden gem located in the Hannalei shopping center old…read moreHanalei school. It's been here for a while. You can tell by the decor for the building. You can sit inside or out and they have the doors open so the wind was going through, which of course made me cold. But they have gluten-free buns. So I was able to get a Burger and side salad because the fries were preseasoned and therefore not gluten-free which seems to be the theme on this island. Smh. The young lady who took our order was very friendly and gluten-free herself so she knew exactly what I was going through and has a list of items that can be gluten-free. I ordered Fresh Island Fish Sandwich at $26.95 Grilled fresh garlic buttered fish served with a lemon caper dill mayonnaise and "the works" on a toasted gluten-free bun. It was huge! Juicy and very flavorful. The House salad was also huge and the house thousand Island dressing that came with it was delicious. My husband ordered Moe's Ultimate Burger at $23.95 with Guacamole, bacon and pepper jack cheese with "the works" and his came with the seasoned fries. It was a huge burger as well and very flavorful. He enjoyed it. We ordered the virgin piña colada's at $7.75ea. They were in a 10-120z or regular size glass and tasted pretty good coming in at a cool third place. There's a bar inside that you can sit with TVs to watch surfing and or games. The decor is paintings from local artist from what I gather that you can also purchase. We'll definitely visit here again.

    They always have great fresh fish. Today we had marlin and chips and it was amazing as usual…read more The Cole slaw recipe was different though. Miss the old one.

    Photos
    The Hanalei Gourmet - Bar seating is bright and airy.

    Bar seating is bright and airy.

    The Hanalei Gourmet - Fish taco

    Fish taco

    The Hanalei Gourmet - Inside

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    Inside

    Chocolat Hanalei - Little Free Library

    Chocolat Hanalei

    4.6(52 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    10/28/24 Must have passed by this tiny shop more than a couple dozen times-never knew it was here!!…read more The reviews were pretty accurate about its size, perhaps a room/space for 3-4 maximum (if you're all related & fairly intimate enough to share the personal space). It has a refrigerated showcase/display that features their array of delectable delights. The cacao is grown about10 minutes away from the shop & a picture hangs on the wall (see photo) of the lady, Ms. Mitchell, who makes all the chocolates. This is according to Debra, the lady tending to the shop. I had my heart set on (3 piece @ $7.00) Dark & Stormy plus the 70% Cacao Truffle Turtles (3 piece for $8.50, unless I mixed up the prices). One for the road, Coffee Drop, &2.75 per piece just to try. It was very good, smooth, not overly sweet but I could not detect the coffee taste, but it was quite delectable. Imagine the dimensions of 8 x 8 ft of a shop, the display case at the center towards the back a tad. If you're facing the case, another display case (shelf, no refrigerated) will be on your left with cacao nibs packages. There's a metal bench in front of the shop under the awning of the structure. Debra was personable & attentive. She mentioned that the hours have changed to 12 noon to 5 pm daily. Additionally, she said they've expanded the shop about a square foot recently. I love supporting local businesses & this place gets the thumbs up. FYI, keep the treats cold, they're delicate, or eat them quickly--no problem there. Hahaha Luckily we have a cooler in the car to keep them chilled.

    Must stop tiny shop! The chocolate here is incredible. I also highly recommend the 5 piece sampler…read more Jack told us about his wife's passion and chocolates - and the story is so cool! This definitely is a place to visit to try chocolate! Truffles - the outside has a crunchy perfect shell - and the inside of the truffle is very soft and melts in your mouth. Definitely get one of the powerhouse bars there's nothing quite like it. Go give Jack a visit! Located directly across room the Old Hanalei School building.

    Photos
    Chocolat Hanalei
    Chocolat Hanalei - 10/28/24 You may sit & wait outside of the tiny chocolate shop

    10/28/24 You may sit & wait outside of the tiny chocolate shop

    Chocolat Hanalei - 10/28/24 Instantly thought of Klaus & Karen R when I shot this pic

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    10/28/24 Instantly thought of Klaus & Karen R when I shot this pic

    Happy Talk Bar & Restaurant - Pineapple chicken and coconut rice

    Happy Talk Bar & Restaurant

    3.7(682 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    Such a cool place with amazing music and atmosphere! Huge shoutout to the musician who was covering…read moremodern hits in a Hawaiian style - honestly, that alone is worth coming here for. The bar bites were also really good. We ordered the coconut shrimp and chicken wings, and the wings were so tasty we ended up getting a second order. Service was great and respectful. My friends got beer and really enjoyed it. I ordered a cocktail and didn't have the best luck with it - lots of ice and a bit too bitter for my taste. I wouldn't recommend the Hanalei Sour. One thing to note: the restroom isn't inside the bar, it's on the hotel property, so you'll need to take a short walk. Overall, I'd recommend this place mainly for the vibe and live music - such a fun experince!

    If only the food tasted as good as the setting of this restaurant looks, it'd be a five star dining…read moreexperience. Unfortunately, we don't eat the restaurant setting, so this is a 2 star experience instead. Came in with a group of 4, and between all of us we ordered: 1.) Coconut Shrimp 2.) Homemade Mac-Nut Hummus 3.) Fried Calamari N' Shrimp 4.) Happy Talk Loco-Moco 5.) Happy Talk Smash Burger 6.) Volcano Poke I only got to try #'s 1-4, and from those, only the hummus was any good. Unfortunately, the loco-moco was bland. There was no seasoning, and there was no flavor. My party seemed to really enjoy the burger and that was probably the best food from what we ordered. Overall, I wasn't happy with the meal and would give this a 2/5

    Photos
    Happy Talk Bar & Restaurant - Dinner seating is adjacent to the upper level bar.

    Dinner seating is adjacent to the upper level bar.

    Happy Talk Bar & Restaurant - Lava Cake with ice cream

    Lava Cake with ice cream

    Happy Talk Bar & Restaurant - Bali Hai Tai!  Yuuuum....

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    Bali Hai Tai! Yuuuum....

    Tiki Iniki - The bill

    Tiki Iniki

    3.5(1.3k reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    Food - 5 stars. Easily. Some of the best sauces I've ever tasted & obviously locally sourced…read moreingredients. The basic green salad was absolutely incredible. The hot wings are unique in a very good way. They are definitely hot but have such a well balanced flavor profile. Even their fries have a dusting of magic on them. The sticky ribs are a must try. Ambiance is fun & lively. Tiki drinks are fun & strong. The only reason I held back a star is because we were a party of 2 waiting behind two larger groups of people to be seated. Multiple people were allowed to walk up & enter through the exit, then sit at the bar while we were patiently waiting to even be approached. We would have gladly sat at the bar, if anyone would have checked with us. I guess it pays to be aggressive here? The check in process during busy times should be regulated & monitored better. Other than that, once we were approached we were seated after a short wait and service was great after that. Food was so good, we came back the next day and were seated immediately. Aloha!

    It's such a shame, because my wife and I love trying tiki bars whenever we go to a new place, but…read moreTiki Iniki just feels like no one cares. At all. Service is slow. Slooooowwwww. Slow. The worst mai tai I have ever had. My god. Ordered the "top shelf" Mai tai, and it was absolutely brutal. First, it wasn't shaken OR stirred. What does this mean? It was served one ingredient on top of the next, room temperature, and tasted like a hot mess. We actually felt sick from it. The amount of syrup this bartender used was crazy. She's either not tasting her drinks, or has just fried her taste buds doing god knows what over the years. Please, for your customer's sake, train the bartenders.

    Photos
    Tiki Iniki - The Tiki Iniki and the flaming drink (forgot the name)

    The Tiki Iniki and the flaming drink (forgot the name)

    Tiki Iniki - The inki

    The inki

    Tiki Iniki - Flaming zombie

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    Flaming zombie

    The Dolphin - seafoodmarkets - Updated May 2026

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