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    The Fish Express

    4.4 (1.2k reviews)
    ModerateHawaiian, Seafood, Poke
    Closed 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    The Fish Express Photos

    THE FISH EXPRESS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - The Fish Express

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    Poke bowl with self serve toppings
    Natalee C.

    Whenever I'm on the islands, I make it a mission to find the best poke and this has to be up there with the best I had on Kauai. Everything is fresh and the flavors are incredible. You can tell the fish is freshly caught, and it's super meaty / not too fishy (always a good sign). Love the option of self serve toppings - something that makes this experience unique compared to other fish markets / poke spots. The Mac salad is delicious, highly recommend topping with that. The service was fast and friendly, and we were in and out in a few minutes. I would come back here for sure, highly recommend!

    Madeleine B.

    Second time here for poke. they have a good selection, lots of fresh ahi tuna with different marinades, various self serve topping, popular but they are efficient at moving people through. Would recommend.

    Blackened Ahi With pineapple salsa. Amazing dish

    Blackened fish was amazing sweet, sour ,spicy well balanced. If your planing to go fish express you gotta try the Blackened fish it's a special but if you ask the chef he would gladly make it for you Aloha

    Bryan C.

    This place is one of the best poke joints on the Kauai island. The only downside is the parking situation is very tricky. Their fish are very fresh but you need to be there earlier or a lot of good stuff will be running out early. Big portions of fish so 2 scoops are plenty for us.

    Chinese plate: fried chicken, fried shrimp, and spare ribs
    Ray N.

    This place is legit and consistent every time. The fish is all fresh, and not frozen. I like all of their poke, but especially the ahi with ogo and the tako. But I usually get the lau lau plate. They didn't have it yesterday, so I got the Chinese plate instead and it was legit. The oriental fried chicken was sweet with subtle ginger and sesame flavors, and crispy. The fried shrimp was tasty and crunchy. The sweet and sour spare ribs were soft and flavorful. It was the first meal I had back in Kauai and it delivered.

    Kyoo C.

    No frills place serving fresh ahi poke, not from frozen. Fish quality was excellent, very smooth and fresh ahi in the poke. Definitely go for the 3 scoops since it's not a ton of fish, and of course sushi rice. KISS keep it simple stupid, it's all about the fresh fish quality here so go for the poke bowl. If flavor preference is usually spicy mayo ahi like me, go for the "Ahi Spicy Poke w/Crab". Didn't really taste any crabs, but it is the spicy mayo sauce one that I always love. The "Ahi Spicy Poke" was a little spicier without the mayo. Location was convenient to the east side, and wife loved it and requested to eat this a 2nd time the next day as well:)

    POKE
    Lilian B.

    Best poke in town! We came here right after we landed! They charge you by weight so you can put everything you want the only thing is that they don't have seating area but thats fine because it was so fresh and so good!

    Spicy Poke - Awesome!!!
    Brian M.

    When I arrived, they were all out of spicy poke (which is my favorite). The owner could tell I was disappointed when she looked at me, and then she said we will make some more for you. It was so thoughtful. After they made me a fresh batch and handed it to me, a smile came across my face. When I got to my car, I could not wait and had a bite (ok, lots of bites) with the chopsticks that they provided. The poke was awesome. Good people and good poke.

    Chicken Katsu plate, no katsu sauce only ketchup- blah!!!
    Rhondi S.

    Chicken katsu had no katsu sauce, they only gave me ketchup!!! Yuck, I'm no haole, gimme katsu sauce! Should have gotten the poke bowl instead but they were all out of hamachi. I should have tried their smoked fish and smoked salmon instead. Big servings, green salad and spaghetti Mac salad included. Nice and friendly counter service ladies. Take out only, no tables for sitting. Went again 2 days later, got the hamachi poke bowl + extra $4 for a small, but worth it. it was fresh, not hot/spicy with crunchy salty sea asparagus (nice touch)was good; Kim Chee was wayyyy too salty- blah! To go orders only, no seating inside nor out, so ambiance is a 1 star. Poke bowls you can add various add on's (Kim Chee, Takauan, pickled vegetables, edamame and more) they weigh your bowl for the extra sides. Poke bowls are 4-5 stars, chicken katsu a 1 star. Come here for the fresh and smoked fish!

    Katherine K.

    Hands down the best poke I've had in all of Hawaii! The service was great, the fish was fresh, and I love the DIY toppings bar they have. I got a small poke bowl with brown rice, Ahi Maui Onion Poke and Ahi Spicy Poke (both incredibly delicious separate and together), topped with edamame, kimchee cucumber, Ocean Salad, and their furikake shaker mix. My only complaint would be that I wish there wasn't salt in the furikake shaker mix because the dish didn't need salt. The portion size was really nice for the price, too. They don't overpack it with rice.

    Tuna Sashimi and Unagi bento
    Boj o.

    Fresh seafood! We came early and there's not much fresh seafood except for the tuna sashimi, which luckily was my favorite. I also got some unagi bento, which was warm and fresh off the grill. Both were delicious! The freshness was next level! The tuna sashimi melted in my mouth. The unagi was smoky, sweet and savory. It was so good! Warm friendly service and there is plenty of parking outside. This place was easy to spot.

    Good size serving and very filling!
    Ganz I.

    Fast and very friendly service, I came in just a little over an hour before closing and it looked like they didn't have much selection left. The spicy ahi was so fresh, very well flavored and textured, octopus was tender and not rubbery, and the smoked salmon was what was expected. Sat in the car with the AC on, very satisfied for great value!

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    3 months ago

    Always the first and last meal we have when we come visit. Best poke around! The musubi is also excellent.

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    The Fish Express Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Fish Express

    Which fish are local/wild caught?

    Are there any vegetarian or vegan entree options (like tofu instead of fish for the poke' bowls)? Thanks in advance

    Hi, We do have a limited selection of vegetarian or vegan options. The most popular is doing a Poké bowl and doing toppings only. almost all of our toppings for the Poké bowls… Read more

    Is the lobster in the spicy lobster poke cooked or raw?

    It is cooked.

    Is there anywhere to eat on site or adjacent?

    We are a to go restaurant. We do have a tile wall across of handicap parking. There are a few park within a 3 mile radius.

    Does the passion orange grilled fish contain any gluten dairy or eggs?

    Yes, it does.

    What are some close beaches where we could enjoy our Poke?

    Kalapaki Beach

    View All 8 Questions

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    Hualani's - Fresh beets

    Hualani's

    4.4(437 reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$$$

    We decided to give Hualani's another try for our 10-year vow renewal dinner, and we're so glad we…read moredid--it absolutely did not disappoint. From the moment we arrived, the hostess was warm, welcoming, and attentive, which set the tone for the evening. The entire staff was fantastic, and we especially want to thank our server, Danielle, who was truly amazing and made our experience even more special. We came in with a large party of 15, and everything was handled seamlessly. The food was delicious across the board. The kids loved the chicken tenders and fries, and for myself, I ordered the lobster tempura to start along with the chili crunch poke--both were incredible, especially the poke, which was super fresh and full of flavor. My husband and I also split a steak, and it was cooked perfectly. Everyone in our group left happy the views outside are absolutely amazing as well. Perfect place for our dinner

    My teenagers and I very much enjoyed our dinner here last night. It didn't hurt that the sunset was…read moreperfection, and the weather was top notch. The wine list included lots of options that I don't often see by the glass, such as Chenin Blanc and Albarino. The Aperature Chenin Blanc was so tasty alongside appetizers and seabass. For starters, we had the short rib potsticker (5 to an order with a peanutty curry sauce on top), and focaccia, which came with balsamic and olive oil, plus roasted garlic cloves. The chewy texture was great, it almost seemed air fried. Entrees: 2 kid's shells with cheese (mac'n cheese) generous portions, and no grief over 15 to ordering off children's menu. Also, the filet and seabass entrees. One came with mashed potatoes, one with rice, but we swapped. Could have with both choy, or sub in green beans. The filet was cooked perfectly to our liking at medium, and very tender. I'm not sure on the size, but it was plenty. The seabass came with 2 large pieces of fish. About half got eaten, it was so delicious, but the buttery texture made it very filling, so hey! Lunch today. Possibly the best aspect of the dinner, topping the food and divine weather, was our server, Ali'i He went above and beyond, chatting to the kids and myself, plus on point recommendations, and speedy water fills and checking in. He brought me wine tastes, solit a virgin daiquiri for my girls, and generally brought a spirit of Aloha. There was a nice duo singing on the patio, too, which really sealed the deal on the relaxing atmosphere. Bathrooms are also very luxurious.

    Photos
    Hualani's - Oceanfront Dining on Kaua'i

    Oceanfront Dining on Kaua'i

    Hualani's - Whole fried Kampachi - appetizer for entree

    Whole fried Kampachi - appetizer for entree

    Hualani's - Sunset view from our dining table outdoors.

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    Sunset view from our dining table outdoors.

    Kaua’i Diner - Banana lumpia with vanilla ice cream

    Kaua’i Diner

    4.3(244 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Family-owned & operated

    Perfect place to start this rainy Kauai weekend! It was 3 minutes away from where we were, the Sixt…read moreRental Cars. They have a great selection of Breakfast and Lunch/Dinner options. The prices are very reasonable! We probably saved $3-10 off each plate coming from Maui. My dad got the LauLau Plate and said the meat was soft and moist and my mom NEVER annihilates her food and she literally ate every bite of her Steamed Fish which was Catfish today. It had this yummy soy or sesame sauce with some green onions and ginger on top. My Oxtail Soup with Rice was perfect for the cold rainy day. Delicious pieces of fall off the bone oxtail and I literally dumped all the cilantro and ginger in the hot broth. Mom and I had a bit of a fuzzy throat so we got the Calamansi Juice with Honey which was delicious! As you sip, you taste pieces of Calamansi and see swirls of seeds and calamansi skin. If you like pulp, you'd enjoy this refreshing drink. We ended the meal with 4 pieces of hot egg tarts! I'm surprised they had them because when I go to Oahu, there's some spots where you special order them on the weekends. Overall, a delicious local spot here in Lihue!

    While researching places to eat on Kauai, there is just too much. But after watching a few videos…read moreon different social media platforms, it was pretty much the same. I grew up in Hawaii and just wanted to experience the classics. Kauai Diner fulfilled this wish. Initially, I planned for Kauai Diner as our first stop for lunch when we landed as it is less than 10-minutes from the airport. However, my sisters weren't hungry for lunch at the time. On our last day, we decided to stay near the airport area and that's when we were able to have brunch here. From the outside, it doesn't look like much and in fact looks small. However, upon entering, this is a really big restaurant with several large booths. This is definitely a family oriented restaurant. The booth we were sat at could comfortably seat 8-people. The menu is a mix of Chinese, Filipino and Hawaii-style mixed plates. So much to choose from. Sister 1 got her usual lau lau and quietly finished her meal first. Sister 2 got steamed ginger fish that she enjoyed. And she was warned it would take 20-mins which she was fine with. Last sister and I shared a burger that was good but not as good as Kenji's, ramen that warmed our belly's, chives pancake that was just ok. And what helped us find Kauai Diner was the ube pancake. Not sure why and had experienced at other places, ube pancake was ok but the ube syrup was really good and 4-sister approved. The staff here are helpful and really nice. Prices fair and restaurant had a lot of natural lighting, plenty of large windows. If I lived here, this would be one of my favs. 5-stars for this experience.

    Photos
    Kaua’i Diner - Interior

    Interior

    Kaua’i Diner - Egg Tarts

    Egg Tarts

    Kaua’i Diner - Inside looking towards the door.

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    Inside looking towards the door.

    Richie's Huli BBQ - $18 Huli chicken plate

    Richie's Huli BBQ

    5.0(56 reviews)
    6.7 mi

    Richie's Huli BBQ is unreal. Holy shit--this is hands down the best chicken we've ever had. It was…read moreperfectly cooked, insanely moist, and packed with flavor. Every bite was delicious. On top of that, the prices are super reasonable for the quality and portion sizes. You get amazing food without feeling ripped off, which is rare these days. If you're anywhere near this place, do yourself a favor and stop in. We'll definitely be back!

    Since we had eaten so much fish during our trip we were looking for some good bbq chicken. (You are…read morekind of reminded every day since there are so many chickens around LOL). So in looking through Yelp we saw Richie's. Since it is a food truck we were not sure exactly where it was. After reviewing the most recent reviews we saw it was right down the street where we were staying. It was in the area by Haole Girl Island Sweets. Everyone mentioned getting there early as the close once they sellout. They usually have the Huli Huli Chicken on Friday and Saturday but check to see. Quite a few people were already seated at the picnic table when we arrived around 11:30am. We were greeted right away and ordered the half chicken with macaroni salad and a roll. We stood by the grill area looking at all the good food being prepared. Smelled like heaven. When we got our food we were amazed at how much was there. Large portions. They serve it with a pineapple white sauce that is so tasty. The macaroni salad was good as well. Also some white rice on the side. Best chicken we have had in a while. Thanks to Richie! Check you out next time in town. We saw a red food truck so turned into the parking lot. You could smell the bbq cooking.

    Photos
    Richie's Huli BBQ
    Richie's Huli BBQ - Huli huli chicken was FIRE! Huge serving which fed our family of four!

    Huli huli chicken was FIRE! Huge serving which fed our family of four!

    Richie's Huli BBQ - Wagyu burger : passion bakery (local) bun,  with house sauce

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    Wagyu burger : passion bakery (local) bun, with house sauce

    The Fish Express - hawaiian - Updated May 2026

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