Hualani's — Restaurant in Kauai

For any of you who have had a great dining experience on Kauai, Hualani's won't leave you disappointed. They recently started a Thursday "BBQ and Beer Tasting" series and we had the great fortune to attend their first event. Execution of this event was flawless from the first greeting to the end of meal, Upside Down Pineapple Cake. While it's always been slightly odd dining in a once busy restaurant environment during the COVID19 pandemic, social distancing was exceptionally practiced, knowing many more guests could have been accommodated pre-Covid, Rozlind Colobong, Hualani's Food & Beverage Manager and her staff took outstanding care of us.

Upon arrival, we were promptly seated and were given a well thought out beer flight list featuring four beers from Kauai Island Brewing Company located in Port Allen; NaPali Pale Ale, West Side Wheat, Wai'ale'ale Golden Ale, and Pakala Porter.

After receiving the line-up of tasty beers, we were presented with Chef Zach Cummings first course of 2 salad options. My wife picked the Big Island Hearts of Palm Farm Green Salad and I picked the Kale Caesar. Both were spectacular; fresh local greens for the spring salad mix and the Kale Caesar from The Farm at Hokuala. The dressing for the green salad had a perfect balance of sweetness from the mango-ginger and acid from vinaigrette which made a perfect complement to the choice of lettuce. The Kale Caesar salad had the perfect amount of lemon-anchovy Caesar dressing, perfectly balanced with not too much tartness or anchovy flavor accompanied with beautiful purple Taro Bun Croutons and shaved Parmesan Cheese.

On to the second course (see picture). Chef Zach out did himself with the choice of BBQ meats and presentation. We loved the playfulness and authenticity true to the weekend BBQ with the addition of the Baked Crusted Macaroni and Cheese and BBQ Baked Beans! Perfectly smoked ribs, Brisket, and Sausage, not overly smoked but just enough to accentuate the full flavor of the meats. The meat on the ribs fell off with the first bite and the Brisket was cooked to perfection. Every bite was an experience, we just couldn't stop eating but we knew we had to save some room for the Upside Down Pineapple Cake with Vanilla Bean Gelato which was the perfect ending to a perfect culinary experience.

Hats off to Chef Zach, Roz and all their staff for pulling off a perfect dining experience that brought us back to our childhood weekend BBQ days! We can't wait to see what he puts together for his next BBQ Series. Highly recommended for your next dining...

Too lazy to read it all? Just go, thank me later.

If you’re ever in Lihue and want to feel like you’ve hit the restaurant jackpot, Hualani’s is the place to be. This farm-to-table gem not only changes its menu with the seasons, but it also comes with a front-row seat to the Pacific—because why just eat dinner when you can feast on ocean views too?

Our server, Matt, deserves a shout-out. He was the perfect mix of knowledgeable and chill—ready to swoop in with menu intel but also smart enough to give us space to sip our cocktails in peace. And speaking of cocktails, we started off strong. I went for the Hawaiian Painkiller, which was a smooth, blended dream. My wife picked the Hanalei Bei, which she liked… until she didn’t. A bit too sweet for her taste. No problem—Matt came to the rescue, swapping it out for the Loose Nene, a tangy, sweet-sour mix that was much more her vibe. Crisis averted.

For pupus, we dove into the Chili Crunch Poke, and wow—absolute perfection. Fresh, flavorful, and the kind of dish that makes you question why you don’t live in Hawaii full-time.

Then came the mains. My wife ordered the Dynamite Kona Kampachi, and she was all in—fresh, perfectly cooked, and bursting with flavor. Meanwhile, I went full indulgence mode with the A5 Wagyu, which arrived with a hot stone so I could cook it exactly how I wanted. Let me tell you, this was next-level Wagyu—juicy, buttery, and ridiculously good. It came with mashed potatoes, broccolini, carrots, and a gravy that honestly deserves its own fan club.

And just when we thought we couldn’t eat another bite, banana lumpia happened. Fried, caramel-drizzled, vanilla ice cream-topped goodness. We somehow found room. Zero regrets.

Final verdict? Hualani’s is a must. The food is phenomenal, the service is spot on, and the views? Unreal. If you’re in Kaua’i, do yourself a favor and...

We have been to Kauai 10 times and never heard of this restaurant. We stumbled upon it via the internet.

They say and also have a sign when you walk in saying they have been awarded a Michelin key. The actual resort received the key, they were only recommended. False advertising to cover for their mediocre restaurant.

Why haven't we heard of it? Because NOONE wants to recommended it. It does have a high rating, but there are plenty of bad reviews describing what we experienced. You think a restaurant in a development with 4 million dollar homes would be somewhat of a gem.

First, they did not have our reservation although we had it on our phone to prove we did have a reservation. Staff seemed stressed and service was very sparse- meaning you don't receive it. The manager was lecturing the hostess while we and another party were waiting to be seated.

We were "allowed" to be seated. Our salad came out and in about 10 seconds later, a busboy came and quickly slid our entree across the table. Basic stuff- don't serve the main entree with salad.

It was a 30th anniversary. What a bummer. We should have went up to the other fine dining establishment starting with a L in Kaapa.

Oh yes, even chain restaurants will give you a desert for your celebration. They asked if we were celebrating anything, we told them about our anniversary and nothing for us!

Oh, l forgot to comment on the food- it was forgettable.

There service and food seems to be only for tourists they think they will see only one time. Kauai is known for visitors that come back to the island frequently. And they talk about their...