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The Sandbox

4.6 (100 reviews)
Closed 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Updated 2 months ago

The Sandbox Photos

THE SANDBOX ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Trendy
Outdoor seating

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Katherine K.

This was a maze to get to and I would say my experience was average, but the price was steep. Apparently, when you ask for a simple tequila soda/sprite, it is more expensive than their crazy concoctions on the menu. One of the bartenders rolled their eyes at me when I asked for a lime to replace the grapefruit I was given in my drink. Other bartenders were very friendly. I only got their Ahi Nachos, which they messed up the first time, and I thought they were good. I've had better, but I've also had worse. If they decrease the sweet chili sauce and increase the amount of avocado, the dish would have been soo much better. The ahi was fresh at least. Based on the proportions I was seeing of what other people ordered, most of the portions do not equal the price. I would say the ahi nachos and the pizza were the only exceptions I saw, but the pizza looks very doughey from what I could see.

Kaua'i Grown Greens with Hulihuli chicken
Brenda O.

This restaurant is located by the beach within the 1Hotel Hanalei Bay. They have valet parking available which was luckily free if you're just going to eat at the restaurant. The food and drinks were tasty- my fiancee had the peperoni pizza and I had the kauai greens salad with hulihuli chicken, and we tried the lilikoi spritz for drinks! This is probably one of the nicest beach views in Hanalei so definitely recommend a stop here for dinner with a breathtaking view.

The Sandbox Smashburger
Kimmy U.

I can see why the Sandbox has such high ratings We were staying at the 1 Hotel (where this is located) and came here twice during our trip. They have a seated area, but you can also get their food/drinks if you are lounging at the pool since they have someone from the restaurant coming around often. There aren't very many good food options in Princeville, and this was definitely the best we had, so I was glad we were staying at the hotel. We came for lunch one day and got the sandbox burger and the healthy bowl. The burger was definitely my favorite! It was smash burger style and not too messy, and the fries were perfect. The healthy bowl just had way too much rice, and the dressing was a bit too creamy for me. We also came another night for dinner and ordered a bbq chicken pizza and crispy shrimp which was on a special menu. Both were just ok for us but if we were to go back again, I'd just go for the burger

Hal S.

Amazing location and ocean/beach views. Outstanding food and service. On the grounds of the 1 Hotel Princeville.

This is the Prickly Pear Paloma, apparently we gobbled up the food immediately, I didn't get a photo.
Allison H.

We had reservations here for our first night on Kauai. We loved our experience. The location is stunning. You have to use the hotels valet service, it is $20 for 4 hours. If you don't want to use valet you can find parking but be prepared to walk a bit. Our server was fantastic and our food was great!

Jennifer C. L.

We came here to lounge by the pool area enjoy the cool weather outdoors by the bar. We sat up at the bar and our bartender was kind and friendly full of Hawaii vibes. He found out it was our honeymoon so he gave us a free drink. All their drinks were great. We tried: -Mai Tai that came with Koloa Kauai White Rum, Koloa Kauai Dark Rum, pineapple juice, dry orange curacao, mac nut orgeat, with lime -My favorite was their Frose Pink Flamingo which was SO GOOD! This came with Rose, Titos Vodka, guava, and lilet This was a great place to sit and grab a drink to relax and enjoy the Hawaiian sun.

Food Menu
Jade S.

This is a cool bar at the beach level at One Hotel in Princeville which is one of the most beautiful views in the world of Hanalei Bay. The food at the Sand Box is a tad pricey, but food is excellent, especially considering that poolside food is usually horrible! Eric was our server on all three visits and he's great at his job.....he's friendly and calm even if he's mostly the main server and swamped with customers. We had the Ono Margarita, Lava Flow, Frose Pink Flamingo Frozen Cocktail and a Guava Lava Cider. For food we had the Hulihuli Chicken pizza, the Greek tomato salad, and the Tempura Shrimp Street Tacos. This is a fantastic poolside bar with great music. On our next trip back we are excited to try one kitchen!

Fresh Catch Ceviche*   The fresh catch was swordfish and it was delicious.
Dave A.

Sandbox bar was very good. It closes kind of early around sun down so you should be mindful of that when planning to eat by the pool. Brandon our bartender was very nice and personable. We chatted for a while about baseball and our food came out very quickly and it was delicious. Especially the ceviche which I thought was better at Sandbox over 1 Kitchen.

Burnt margarita pizza - we ate around it.  Manager offered us another pizza.  Really appreciated :))
Carolyn W.

Very pricy, but great vibe & food. Service was hit & miss. We saw manager more than server (who was really sweet, but too many tables?). Ceviche was stingy for price. More fish, please?

Hulihuli Pizza - No bacon and added fresh pineapple  sooo good!
Maral C.

The location by the pool at 1 Hotel is fantastic, especially if you're staying there. It was a busy day, so the service was a bit slow, so make sure to allow enough time to soak in the relaxing atmosphere! For drinks, I had the Frose and Makana Mana. I started with chips and guacamole, and for lunch, I enjoyed the hulihuli pizza without bacon and with added pineapple. Everything was delicious, especially the pizza!

Analeece J.

Doesn't get any better than this - lunch on the beach with the most incredible view. Down at the pool makes it a fun afternoon spot for drinks and small bites, but their pizza is absolutely incredible. Not sure what they are doing to it, but as someone who has traveled and eaten a lot of pizza, this is easily in the top 3 best I've ever had. Good service whether you're at the bar, poolside, or seated at a table. The bbq chicken pizza is my personal favorite, but the tacos and fresh crudite are great as well

Lynna D.

We were in Kauai and it was a very rainy day and we were looking for lunch options and my wife found The Sandbox. Let me say the view coming down the hotel to the pool area where The Sandbox is located is amazing. Just going to the restaurant to see the view is totally worth it. The service was great, our server was attentive and made a rainy, windy day better by serving us great food!

Truffle chicken Daily Pizza Special

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2 months ago

5 stars must give a shoutout to chef rob, an absolute delight and amazing dough tossing skills, he is the reason we will be back again!

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2 months ago

Sandbox pizza is absolutely amazing we recommend trying it out, Rob puts tons of Aloha in his craft, thanks for an amazing experience!

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5 months ago

The food was great but the views were even better. A must if you find yourself hungry on the north shore.

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5 months ago

We all liked the cozy atmosphere very much, delicious pizza, pizza maker Robert a great guy will always tell you everything about pizza

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The Sandbox Reviews in Other Languages

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Welina Terrace

Welina Terrace

4.0(216 reviews)
0.1 mi

Welima terrace is all about the Hanalei Bay views. SInce it is insidew the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay,…read moreWelima Terrace is super expensive. My order: Veggie Roll Crispy Rice Black Sesame Mochi Cake MAHINA MELE Loved my food! The vegiie roll was like a veggie california roll with a mix of Cucumber, Avocado, Asparagus, and Shiso Leaves. The highlight was the crispy rice. Golden fried , sumptuopus riceand it was delicious! To top it off , they gave us a candle to separate our special occasion over a black sesame mochi caked. Cocktails were great with local spirits. I would recommend booking a table in advance, show up early and the best time would be 30 mins before sunset, so I showed up at 6PM. The views were a killer. The resturant also has a DJ and is open late in the night but after sunset the views become really dark.

I got lucky to spend my birthday here; our plan was to explore our options at the hotel and settle…read moreon whatever mood struck. This was our first and last spot. We were seated promptly at a cozy table inside with couches; we didn't want to wait for an outside table (tip: make a reservation). The cocktails were not only beautiful, but absolutely delicious and fresh. We loved each dish we ordered and the menu is big - and has something for almost everyone who enjoys Japanese cuisine. The views are incredible - especially at the outside tables. However we were able to enjoy a beautiful sunset where we were inside. Service was excellent - considering how busy it was. You wouldn't know it by how attentive and professional our server was. Excellent evening here and we'll be back. Mahalo to the Welina Terrace team.

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Welina Terrace - Sunset View

Sunset View

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Ama

Ama

4.1(1k reviews)
1.3 mi
$$

We had reservations, were seated immediately. The setting is stunningly beautiful (even though low…read morelying misty clouds covered a lot of the mountain) - we were seated under the open air porch. We shared the large green papaya salad - fresh crunchy and delicious - and the chicken satay bowl (roasted Jidori chicken thighs, bok choy, soft egg*, scallions, sweet peppers, chili crisp broccoli and a peanut, coconut, satay sauce) - both were fabulous. We also had the sake flight - unique and fun to try. Highly recommend!

We love coming here, we make a reservation every time we are in town. They used to have beautiful…read morecocktails (I still have photos on my phone!) but they've changed their menu and now they are all on the rocks. My server suggested that the bartender could easily make my requested drink as it is a full service bar, but when I went up to the bartender he seemed so pissed that I would even ask for something off menu! I get that he didn't want to make a drink with egg whites (why?? they are so good, and a good sour is a classic cocktail). But it was his tone and attitude that just seemed so off.. I've never met a bartender who didn't like engaging with a customer (maybe sub in condensed coconut milk if you don't want to use egg whites?). All in all, that completely changed the tone of my night. I felt embarrassed for even asking, and that never should have been the case.

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Ama
Ama - Brussels sprouts

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Happy Talk Bar & Restaurant - Pineapple chicken and coconut rice

Happy Talk Bar & Restaurant

3.7(682 reviews)
0.2 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

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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)
1.6 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.

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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

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Stinger Ray's Tiki Bar & Lounge - Photo 3: Interior

Stinger Ray's Tiki Bar & Lounge

3.8(11 reviews)
19.3 mi

Jamie W and I have yet to explore the island of Kauai, but we did have a longer-than-scheduled…read morelayover at Lihue Airport on the way back home from Honolulu. Three hours to be exact, and the airport was unsurprisingly quite small. There was a mini-market, a couple of places to eat, and this casual tiki bar. Of course we were drawn in even though it was crowded due to several concurrent flight delays. The bartender was busy, even providing table service without any staff assistance. We managed to snag a window-side table, and while we balked a bit at the price, we ordered a pair of $22.49 Macadamia Nut Espresso Martinis, a luscious libation of vodka, Borghetti espresso liqueur, macadamia nut honey, and nitro-infused espresso (Photo 7). It kept us going until our flight finally took off. COCKTAIL - 4 stars...pricy yet top drawer AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...it's the airport after all SERVICE - 4 stars...as attentive as possible TOTAL - 4 stars...last tiki stop before leaving the islands RELATED - Exploring Hawaii? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/n9JWu5nlzl

Food is the same through the entire airport (burger is good!) but our bartender was fabulous…read more Friendly and helpful. Best way to burn a flight delay ever Coronas were plentiful and cold

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Stinger Ray's Tiki Bar & Lounge - Photo 2: Front of the lounge

Photo 2: Front of the lounge

Stinger Ray's Tiki Bar & Lounge - Interior (05/12/23). #StingerRaysTikiBarAndLounge #LihueAirport #Kauai #Hawaii #Airport #Lounge #Bar

Interior (05/12/23). #StingerRaysTikiBarAndLounge #LihueAirport #Kauai #Hawaii #Airport #Lounge #Bar

Stinger Ray's Tiki Bar & Lounge - Photo 4: Wall decor

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Photo 4: Wall decor

The Sandbox - pizza - Updated May 2026

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