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Hanapepe Cafe & Espresso
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Alcohol:
- None
16 reviews for Hanapepe Cafe & Espresso
I feel the need to explain my star rating. If you were to eat at Hanapepe Cafe in Seattle or Portland, it would deserve 2.5 - 3 stars. However, in relation to Kauai restaurants, it deserves 10 stars. The eats on Kauai (especially for a vegetarian) are dismal but Hanapepe Cafe can brighten things! The Healthnut Sandwich is my favorite. And the bread pudding is amazing!
It's overpriced and the service leaves something to be desired. Give it a try but remember that they have funky hours.
First, let me say the locals in Hanapepe are filled with aloha. My son and I were walking around trying to find the cafe. We stopped and asked for directions and the next thing I knew we had several people walking us over like we were ohana. I wanted to take these folks home with me!
Friday night is art night in Hanapepe, and it is the only night Hanapepe Cafe is open for dinner. Since we have not tried lunch here, this review is just for dinner.
This was an extraordinary culinary experience. The menu is quite simple, but elegant. Most of the entrees are vegetarian, but I had the Ahi. The perfectly cooked fish along with pineapple, passion fruit and mint salsa was divine. My son had the spinach lasagne. There was enough food for 2 adults on his plate, but he made a valiant effort to chow down. Every crumb of the garlic bread was devoured. I tried his lasagne and it was perfect in every way.
For dessert, my son had the hot fudge chocolate cake with ice cream. I thought he was going to pop, but he seemed to be in kid heaven with every bite. The ice cream was delicious.
When we first arrived at the cafe, there was a guitarist playing. Don't know what happened to her. About half way through our meal, she left and took her money jar with her. The classical tunes were nice while they lasted.
The only negative part of this experience was the waitperson. I do not know what her problem was, but she seemed angry. She took our order, never smiled, never came back to check on drinks, and seemed put out by our dessert order. I almost took off two stars for this, but maybe she was having an off day.
If you go to Kauai, I recommend going to Hanapepe on Friday night. Call in advance for a dinner reservation, enjoy the art galleries, mingle, and pretend this lovely plantation town is home ::sigh:: wish I were there right now....
This is no longer a vegetarian cafe. In fact, most of the selections are no longer vegetarian. What is left though, is pretty tasty, though very pricey. Any time a meal for two people without dessert and without drinks comes to over $100, I consider that pricey.
For the money, I got a mediocre salad (some sort of dijon mustard that tasted like it came out of a super market bottle, though the greens were fresh), an excellent pea soup, and a quite decent pasta dish. My companion went for the Punjabi set menu -- which is really a thali that is served all at once, during the entree course.
This was the first faux pas: The server didn't explain that while the Punjabi menu appeared to be several courses long, it was really one course. So I merrily went ahead and ordered what looked like corresponding courses -- so my partner and I could eat together. And then she sat there watching me eat my salad, and then my soup, before her set menu was delivered when my pasta course arrived. Embarrassing!
However, I am glad I didn't order the Punjabi menu, since she reported the selections to be just so so, other than the stellar dahl, and the awful rice (not an indian varietal at all).
As others have noted, the service was more like a diner than a fine restaurant, but the prices were as high as a Michelin-rated restaurant elsewhere on the island. We love what they are trying to do, but until they hit the mark, charging like it's a destination restaurant seems a bit extreme.
At half the price, we'd consider it a 4 star experience -- not perfect, but plausibly acceptable. At full price, they are just not there, yet. Of course, they don't have any competition locally, and art night draws lots of folks to the area, so they were packed and don't have much incentive to improve.
The food was absolutely delicious and wonderfully presented. I started with a sublime carrot, coconut and lemongrass soup and for dinner had poached salmon with haricots verts and scalloped potato, and a pineapple cheesecake to finish. I appreciated the reservationist's reminder about their BYOB policy.
However I am docking two (!) stars for lackluster service, which I found unacceptable at these high prices. I agree with other comments I've read regarding the haughty do-nothing front desk staff, which we witnessed firsthand as we were seated directly behind "the podium". They don't seem to like walk-ins despite the fact that there are empty tables in each section (they don't seem to maintain staff for a full house). Although the assistant was on top of our wine and water, our waitperson was persistently tardy, hardly ever checked on us and did not bring a requested item. All in all it was a nice splurge but again, I would really like a bit more attentive service at these prices.
Where do you go for a hummus sandwich in Kauai? Wait, somebody sells hummus in Kauai?!?
I had my doubts when I ordered my hummus (read hippie) sandwich but it was actually very good. And being that my people are all about hummus, I can be a snob about hummus. The sandwich was full of veggies and hummus served on a tasty thick wheat/multi-grain toast (I'm wondering if they make the bread on-site?).
The place is rather unassuming and a bit too lacking in character for dinner but it is a nice little lunch spot.
Stopped in on the drive to Waimea Canyon. The 4 stars are mostly for the fact that they carry gluten free products. The loaf of bread was good and the other gf baked goods were ok but nothing that I just loved. Sweet Marie's in Kapaa I think sells their bread and she has her own gf muffins that are to die for. We did not have a meal so I really can't add much more. If you have Celiac and need some options stop by and give Hanapepe Cafe a try.
We dropped by for lunch on our way to Kekaha Beach and found this hidden gem in a small artist town off the main Kaumualii Hwy 50. The grilled vegetables on focaccia bread was delicious. The scent of freshly brewed coffee lured us into this unassuming cafe filled with artwork for sale on the walls and locals with warm hospitality.
Maybe the best food we've eaten on Kauai. They're only open on Friday's, and you'll need a reservation. Also, bring your own wine.
Great food. The overall experience is good enough that we schedule our Kauai trips around an evening at Hanapepe Cafe.
ok..I've been to Roy's....not bragging...but I have been there and plunked down some change for a nice dinner...pricey but good....now that I have been to Hanapepe Cafe though....Roy's is in my past....why? well price for one...but quality as well...Hanapepe Cafe has super fresh food that is crafted extremely well and served in an unassuming but charming location. We went on art night (Friday nights) and made an entire evening of Hanapepe...which I highly recommend...all the dishes that our table ordered were highly flavorful and delicious. I had a pasta Puttanesca with shrimp that had big chunks green olive in it and I really, really loved it...when I was almost finished I looked around for our waitress an flagged her down for more bread (that I had declined earlier)...when she walked up to the table she said "you want more bread don't you?"...she had read my mind....must be common with that sauce....I basically licked my bowl clean.....I'll fly 6 hours just for that sauce.....this little Cafe is a real gem and I'll be making regular visits now that I have been once.....sorry Roy's....but Hanapepe Cafe has stolen my heart
We were staying on the North shore, so we combined our visit to the Hanapepe Cafe with a Napali boat tour and Hanapepe's Friday night Art Night happening. I decided to check the menu when we first arrived since we had an hour before our reservation. There were just 3 or 4 entrees on the menu and since none were vegan, I asked the hostess what they might be able to make vegan since 3 in our party of 5 were vegan. She wasn't sure what vegan was and said she'd check with the kitchen. Her reply when she returned was simply "Um, no, not tonight." I was surprised since one of the entrees was a pasta dish with vegetables and an alfredo sauce which should have been an easy thing to switch for tomato or even olive oil, but since they weren't interested, I told her we'd have to cancel our reservation. When she found our name on the books, she looked at me and said "so, um, you want to cancel?" to which I replied, "well, if you can't make anything for vegans to eat I guess we'll have to." At $25 per entree and $15 for appetizers, I wasn't all that broken up about it, but I was surprised that they would give up that much money from a party of 5 rather than just improvise a vegan pasta sauce. I'd suggest mentioning your vegan status when making a reservation.
I LOVED this place! We went there with the kids and my wee one thoroughly enjoyed the cheesy grilled cheese. I enjoyed a huge, fresh greek salad full of yummy ingredients. The brownie for dessert was too die for. The woman who bakes is the mom of the owner and both women couldn't be sweeter and more welcoming.
I highly recommend this place on your way to Waimea canyon!
We stopped in the little gem for breakfast on the way to a hiking activity. Vegan breakfast isn't an easy shoe to fill. We were greeted by one of the nicest ladies I've ever met and she did some custom cooking to satisfy. Protein and starches were hooked up. My wife grabbed a quiche and she said it was the best she'd ever had. We topped it off with an Island Smoothie and wow, we couldn't put it away faster. This places is just one of the reasons I'd love to find a way and move to Kaua'i.
I had the best vegan meal of my life here. The appetizer, entree, and dessert were all awesome, as was the service. If you go to Kauai, you have to eat here!
Wasn't expecting much when we stopped into the Hanapepe Cafe for a bite to eat on the way to Waimea Canyon. Was pleasantly surprised, not just by the cafe (which was adorable), but by the calibre of the entire town. The food at the cafe, while not gourmet, was more than decent. The ambiance was lovely and the service excellent. I don't think there is another place to eat in Hanapepe, so if you pass on the cafe better move on to the next town.
YES... it was busy because of a storm (which forced many people to choose to eat there, ourselves included). Bottom line, the service was terrible. We were seated and then ignored for about a half an hour... no one even apologized or tried to look concerned on our behalf. We tried to order, but were told that it would be a while and asked if we would like drinks. Everyone ordered mochas and espressos, but the machine was not working. I ordered tea, and a friend ordered regular coffee. Eventually we were allowed to order food. Midway into the wait for that, I realized that it had been almost an hour since our drink order, so I cancelled my tea, and reminded them to get a move-on with my mate's coffee.
The fare was vegetarian, and had plenty of interesting selections. Since it was cold, I opted for the soup and lasagna. The carrot soup did taste a little like baby food (keen observation by the hubby), but was still fine on such a rainy day. The lasagna took a very long time, and after all of that time, we three who had ordered it decided that it was most definitely microwaved not baked. Not sure what made it take so long then. The foccacia slices were a nice idea, but just not very tasty, more like cheap pizza crust instead of good fugasa.
The sign for Hanapepe Cafe & Espresso was such a beacon, calling us out of the dreary storm; it was just a shame to learn that it was only a weak flashlight in the end.
First things first-- one must judge a vegetarian cafe in Kauai, particularly one in a tiny town, on quite a different level than one would judge a cafe in, say, San Francisco. Coming from the mecca of veggie food options, it can be a challenge to have an unbiased perspective on vegetarian restaurants outside of the Bay. Secondly, Kauai time is much more leisurely and unhurried. That being said, Hanapepe Cafe was not bad at all and refreshing to encounter on an island full of seafood and Spam dishes. When my companions and I stopped in for a late lunch, we were greeted with a genuine smile and offered iced teas on that hot, humid day. Unfortunately, they were out of a couple of tasty-looking items. But I thoroughly enjoyed my Zorba the Greek salad-- everything was very fresh and flavorful. The fresh-baked foccacia and house-made hummus were both delicious as well. My man thought his grilled tofu sandwich was a bit bland but still decent. Ideally, the folks at Hanapepe Cafe will expand their menu, but kudos to them for offering a vegetarian dining establishment in a small town environment. I hear that dinner (only served on Friday nights at the time of this writing) is better, so hopefully I will return to sample their dinner menu.
