Puka Dog Hawaiian Style Hot Dogs — Restaurant in Kauai

THE HYPE OF PUKA DOG IS DEFINITELY OVERRATED!! As we entered the building we were immediately yelled at because one person in our group was standing beyond their yellow sign. So we stepped outside momentarily. It was a nice first greeting to this dog house!

We ordered various sausage dogs with a multitude of toppings at $10 each. The woman at the counter was unpleasant to say the least and was annoyed to answer our few questions. The other 3 women working seemed just as unpleasant, especially the one was who yelled at us upon entry.

We watched as they toasted the bread and pumped the sauces into them. It was obvious there was something wrong with the rolls as one of the women kept tossing the buns in the trash. That issue was very apparent when we received our Puka Dogs to eat. The bread was stale and the sauces seeped out the sides as the poorly toasted and very stale bread crumbled. The sauces that didn’t leak out into the bag collected at the bottom of the roll. This part became an inedible bread cup of glop with no dog. Their spicy sauce version is barely mild and hot was barely noticeable. Maybe they pumped the wrong sauces in but it definitely was off. The Sausage dog was nothing special and far too short for the bun.

If you’re slinging tube steaks all day, have some fun with it! For an island full of such happy warm people, these women truly seemed miserable in a service business. The owner definitely needs to take a look at how their staff treats customers and change of attitude in this place. This really could have been the Soup episode of Seinfeld substituting soup for sloppy dogs….it wasn’t a very endearing experience.

I will definitely pass on this place in the future based on the stale messy sausage dogs we received for over $80!

PS- the Lemonade was very good. It was the only redeeming quality of this visit but not good enough to increase my opinions...

Puka Dog has been a staple for our family for the past 10 to 15 years and every trip to Kauai includes at least a few visits here. We first tried them the year they opened and have been hooked ever since. In our 23 years of coming to Kauai this has become one of those must stop spots that we take all our friends and family to. Their hot dogs are completely unique and unlike anything you would expect from a traditional hot dog stand. I always get the Polish sausage with the spicy jalapeno secret sauce, Hawaiian mustard, and either the mango or coconut relish. I have tried all the relishes over the years — pineapple, banana, starfruit — and every single one is great, but the mango is my favorite. The bread is like a Hawaiian roll that is crispy on the inside and soft on the outside and with each bite the flavors just come together perfectly. The lemonade is another highlight. They squeeze it fresh right in front of you and you can choose half sweet or full sweet. Full sweet is the way to go. It is refreshing and the perfect balance of tart and sweet. The staff and the owner have always been kind and welcoming even when the line is wrapped around the building which it usually is. The place has blown up with social media and Food Network features but even back before all of that it was one of our favorite spots. The new location is also awesome since it is right across from the beach where you can often see turtles or seals while you eat. I cannot say enough good things about Puka Dog. It is hands down one of our favorite places on the island and we sometimes go 10 to 15 times in just a two week trip. It has become a family tradition and I will keep recommending it to anyone...

While doing some research on what to eat when you visit Kauai, the Puka Dog was on the list so we had to try it out. It is right next to Poipu beach making it an easy visit. We stopped in late afternoon/early evening on a weeknight and there was already a line out the door. They're ready for it, with a roped off area for people outside and a polite sign for those that just walk-in. It really helps with the flow and making sure people can get in and out. The line moves pretty quick so we were standing outside hungry for long. They have the system of making the dogs down.

Simple choices to order: pick your dog - polish sausage or veggie (takes a little longer) pick your garlic lemon sauce - mild, spicy jalapeño, hot chili pepper, lava habanero pick your tropical relish - mango, coconut, pineapple, banana, papaya, star fruit add Auntie Lilikoi's Hawaiian Mustard, or go traditional ketchup, yellow, Dijon and sweet pickle relish Add on some lemonade and chips to complete your meal

The essentially core a hole in a traditional bun, add some of the sauces/toppings, add the dog of your choice, and add some more sauces/toppings and on your way. It makes eating a little bit simpler and cleaner.

We both got the polish sausages, tried the mild and spicy jalapeño garlic lemon sauce, and pineapple relish, with Hawaii mustard. They were good, a little too much bun for my liking. I liked the sweeter tropical flavors that they had to offer and didn't find either of the garlic lemon sauces to be spicy. I would...