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    The Fish Express

    4.4 (1.2k reviews)
    ModerateHawaiian, Seafood, Poke
    Open 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

    The Fish Express Photos

    Business Info

    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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    bowl
    Nancy R.

    This was probably the best poke I had while I was on the island, I would absolutely return. I ordered a poke bowl with ahi spicy poke w/ crab & ahi inamona/ogo poke. The staff were friendly and service was quick. There is no seating available, definitely a grab and go place. There is a small parking lot right outside.

    Poke Bowl with 3 scoops - $15.25
    Michael X.

    When stopping by Lihue, we were looking for a place where you can get some delicious poke quickly, and The Fish Express popped up as an interesting option to stop by. We went on a Saturday around lunchtime and it wasn't too busy. There is a small parking lot near the restaurant on the left hand side. It was filled when we first got there, but we were luckily able to get a spot. I could see this lot filling up quickly during other meal rush hours, so do take note if you plan on driving. The ordering is done like your typical poke place, you tell the service worker what you would like and there's a small toppings bar at the end before the cashier. There was a small line when we went, and even with the line, it still only took about 5-10 minutes to get our food. There isn't interior seating in the restaurant though, you will have to get your food take out, or just eat in the parking lot. I got the 3 scoops of poke option for $15.25, and I think that this is a pretty solid deal for the variety of fish that you can try out! I think based on my personal experience on Kaua'i, it will be difficult to get food, especially poke at a reasonable price. But for this price, it's probably the best place on the island to get poke without paying $20+ for the same variety. The fish tasted fresh, and I am a fan of the selection of toppings they had. If you are in the Lihue area and looking to try some poke at a reasonable price, I would recommend The Fish Express! There seems to be a decent amount of other interesting looking options on the menu, and if I'm ever in the area again, I would totally give them a try!

    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.

    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.

    Grilled fish tacos with black beans and Mexican rice.

    The blackened ahi taco was delicious! I don't usually like blackened food but it really worked with all the components of the fish taco.

    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.

    Peppered ahi jerky
    Kelsea L.

    Friendly and helpful staff! Got the smoked tako and peppered ahi jerky. They even cut the jerky up in small pieces too. Sweet potato haupia bars were ok, hoping it would be a little bit sweeter. Overall great place to grab poke or other goodies.

    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!

    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

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    29 days ago

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    8 months ago

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    5 days ago

    would give 10 stars if i could. best poke on the island. Please make the drive to get some. this is no joke

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    5 months ago

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    3 months ago

    Love this place! We always get fish and poke, this time ahi fillets, and spicy salmon poke. absolutely fresh and delicious!

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    7 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    1 month ago

    Fresh fish and great variety. Friendly service and reasonable pricing for the quality. No seating, so it's grab and go.

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    1 year ago

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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… 

    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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    Lawai'a Fish Co.

    Lawai'a Fish Co.

    4.8
    (171 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$

    Saw this place on a YouTube episode on tryguys and it sounded amazing. We were in kauai before our…read moreflight and im disappointed we didn't try them sooner. We got there at a good time line was minimal and we brought the crowd with us once again lol. Honestly didnt know what to get because I was overwhelmed by all the different choices available everything looked so good but I always have a default 2choice poke bowl with anything spicy ahi, and got there gingah spread ahi. You can also choose different toppings for your bowl and of course why not get all of them to compliment the fresh poke even more. The ahi was super fresh and ONO (delicious) melt in your mouth kine action so soft. This is one of those stops when you first land "next stop lawai'a" lol iykyk. 300

    Automatic 5 stars for me for Lawai'a Fish Co…read more Stopped here otw back to the airport for a quick lunch & was amazed by the plate lunches options, poke (tofu poke too), and even bakery items here. There was a small line when we arrived, but it moved very quickly. Decided to get their 2 choice poke bowl - with all rice, poke choices I got were da ginger one & spicy ahi.. and of course I got all the toppings (which are included). My poke bowl was super good. Da ginger one poke was by far my favorite!! Can tell the fish is super fresh since it has that melt in your mouth texture that every local craves. This is definitely gonna be my first stop on my next visit back to Kauai!

    Photos
    Whole fish when available
    Whole fish when available
    Zesty threesome poke Ahi. Hamachi and salmon
    Zesty threesome poke Ahi. Hamachi and salmon
    Poke (any one is just as good, but this one is chilli garlic and shoyu oyster sauce)

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    Poke (any one is just as good, but this one is chilli garlic and shoyu oyster sauce)
    Hualani's

    Hualani's

    4.4
    (461 reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$$$

    We went here on our actual anniversary. The restaurant is on a golf course. There is alot of new…read moreconstruction in the area but Uber found the place quite easily. We had a view of the ocean. It was pretty high waves after a nearby tropical storm so that was fun to watch. The photo ops are incredible here. They have wonderful seating overlooking the water. Would be great to come here just for drinks. We started with an ahi sashimi appetizer. We pretty much get ahi sashimi at every restaurant in Hawaii. It was good. The hawaiian painkiller drink was nice. Not too strong. For entrees, I picked Kampachi which came with bok choy. Although the portion looked small, it was a good size. Very flavorful. I had a hard time picking between 3 fish entrees. This one worked out well. My wife had a shrimp farfalle pasta. She enjoyed it. When we went to order dessert, they brought us out a lava cake like dessert with happy anniversary written in chocolate on the plate. Complimentary and such a nice touch! It seems like they do pay attention on the reservation. The place was semi-busy but not packed. Bar looked huge. Great service as well.

    Extremely disappointing experience at Hualani. We planned this dinner as a special family…read moreexperience and arrived a few minutes before our reservation. While waiting for our table, we stood right outside taking 4-5 quick family photos--something I think most people do while on vacation. Unfortunately, while we were literally just a few feet away, the hostess gave away the ocean-view table that had been intended for us without ever coming over to get us or communicating with us. That lack of communication completely changed the experience. We were then seated at a table with an awful view--essentially looking at bushes. At an ocean-view resort, that is not what you expect, especially when you specifically planned a family dinner there. We spoke with the hostess stand, but there was no meaningful effort to accommodate us. After we were already upset, the manager eventually came over and offered another table--but only if we waited another 45 minutes. We were also offered a high-top table, which simply isn't practical when you're dining with four young children. The entertainment made the poor seating even more obvious. When the luau dancers came through, our family literally had to get up from our table to see the performance. That is how obstructed our view was. I want to be clear that our server was wonderful and completely at no fault. She provided great service and did everything she could. The issue was the hostess stand, the lack of communication, and the complete lack of ownership or accommodation after the mistake happened. People don't come to a beautiful ocean-view resort to spend their special family dinner staring at bushes. What makes this especially frustrating is that our original ocean-view table was right there, and we were never given the courtesy of being told, "Your table is ready." We were taking a few family photos--not disappearing for an hour. For a restaurant at this level, I expected much better judgment, communication, and customer service recovery. Unfortunately, the experience left a very bad impression, and I would not return to Hualani or recommend it for a special occasion.

    Photos
    Oceanfront Dining on Kaua'i
    Oceanfront Dining on Kaua'i
    Whole fried Kampachi - appetizer for entree
    Whole fried Kampachi - appetizer for entree
    Night views from the patio andlive music

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    Night views from the patio andlive music
    Duke's Kauai

    Duke's Kauai

    3.9
    (3.2k reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$

    I entered Duke's with a great attitude and ready for a great meal by the sea and excited to dig in!…read moreWe entered the restaurant with high hopes when greeted by two very nice hosts. When we sat down though the hostess was not quite the nicest, but still did her job (even if it took a while). When bringing out the food, almost the whole tables were warm, even if it was a $90 steak. I ordered the Duke's Cheeseburger and it was enjoyable. The manager was super nice, and after talking about this with him, he decided to help us out! The ambiance of the place was amazing, and loved the statues and mood the entire time.

    We ate here at the downstairs bar 5 years ago during Covid. Now we are back with a reservation in…read morethe upstairs celebrating our anniversary. We did the picture in front of the huge surfboard to start. We were seated with a view of the bay. Waitstaff was very nice. Keep in mind the front desk is on the opposite side of the restaurant as the bay. We started with ahi sashimi which has become standard at all the restaurants we eat at in Hawaii. LOL. My wife ordered the ahi tuna tacos. I ordered the coconut ginger braised seafood. It has multiple types of fresh fish of the day with lobster. The sauce is just perfect. Filling and flavorful. In the end they gave the hula pie for free for our anniversary. So kind! The twisted version was a mango sorbet. We missed the twisted version with the cookie dough. We ordered the original. Damn it was good. How can you go wrong with hot fudge and ice cream!

    Photos
    Front entrance
    Front entrance
    Twisted Hula Pie - Mocha version
    Twisted Hula Pie - Mocha version
    La Pina on 8.5.2023

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    La Pina on 8.5.2023
    Hamura Saimin

    Hamura Saimin

    3.8
    (2.6k reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    This year our island mission is to find the best locals food. This was the most wonderful…read moreexperience. Aunties are friendly, quick and helpful. Seating is family style. We immediately struck up convo with woman sitting across from us. We told her our mission and she said she would show us the way locals eat Saimin. She taught us how to fix up the pepper water with the shoyu sauce and yellow mustard. It was fantastic. Really took the flavor up to another level. We also tried the Lilikoi Chiffon Pie, which was so light and fluffy. Not too sweet. We were blown away when the cashier told us the lady at our table paid for our lunch! The aloha spirit is alive and well in Lihue. We will most def pay it forward. If you're looking for that place where your kapuna wahine is cooking, THIS IS IT!

    the vibes are cute like a diner but it's hot in there!!…read more first time trying saimin so i have no point of comparison. i generally thought the dish was bit of a one note even with the addition of the mustard. i didn't want to really put the vinegar in because the containers that held it didn't look so clean nor safe? it was in a plastic container that used to contain pepper the broth is dashi broth like an udon. noodles are a bit of a mush on arrival. the dish itself is cute like something straight out of anime lol it's good as a junk food snack maybe - i had this about 3 hours before my flight and i didn't feel so hot afterwards service was pretty quick and straightforward!

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Crispy Fried Won Tons (8pcs)
    Crispy Fried Won Tons (8pcs)
    Sumo Saimin

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    Sumo Saimin

    The Fish Express - hawaiian - Updated August 2026

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