The Chevron from The Fresh Shave 
Poke Nachos from Kauai Poke Co. 
Carne Asada Fries from Uncle Bobby’s 
The Funky Monkey from Anake’s Juice Bar
Breakfast
Monkeypod Jam in Lawai serves up savory and sweet breakfast pastries as well as grab-and-go lunches. They are best known for their assortment of seasonal (aka mouthwatering tropical) preserves. I cannot live without the turkey pockets–turkey and Swiss cheese baked into a buttery pastry pocket. There are a few small tables with seating inside the shop and the warm atmosphere make it the perfect place to stop in for your morning coffee or tea.
Anake’s Juice Bar in Poipu serves up smoothies, acai bowls, and out-of-this-world soft serve. They are best known for their acai bowls, with five signatures combinations you really can’t go wrong. While the Funky Monkey bowl (a blend of acai, banana, strawberry, peanut butter, and almond milk topped with a heap of goodies including granola and dark chocolate chips) hooked me, I cannot live without the lilikoi and guava soft serve. This is a grab-and-go counter located at the back of Kukuiula Store.
Lunch at Warehouse 3540 in Lawai (indoor & outdoor seating available)
Kickshaws serves up some seriously creative and spectacularly delicious lunch items. They are best known for their “100% Awesome Burger”–80% fresh ground chuck steak & 20% ground bacon topped with bacon, cheddar cheese, arugula, tomato, and mayo on a ciabatta roll. Their waffled tater tots (and if you’re lucky they even have waffled mac & cheese) are also crowd pleasers and can be topped with most of the other dishes on the menu. I cannot live without the “Tremendous Tuna Melt”–fresh caught ahi, havarti, and pickled onions? Say no more!
Kauai Poke Co. serves up poke bowls made with locally caught fish. While they are best known for their namesake, they also feature rotating specials that I would liken to local comfort food–think tempura shrimp, beef stew, and more. I cannot live without the Poke Nachos–seasoned ahi, onion, avocado, bubu arare, and their signature sauces, all served on a bed of freshly fried wonton chips.
Uncle Bobby’s serves up the best Mexican food on island, hands down. Their menu is simple and pretty much consists of tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and my favorite… I cannot live without the Carne Asada Fries–carne asada, jack cheese, chipotle aioli, pico de gallo, queso fresco, and guacamole on top of the most perfectly crisped fries you may ever taste. But honestly, you can’t go wrong with anything on their menu plus the food is always served with an extra helping of Aloha.
The Fresh Shave serves up shave ice handcrafted from real, high quality ingredients. There are eight signature flavors on their menu plus seasonal and Secret Menu specials, all named after popular mustache styles. They are best known for the Fu Manchu–organic strawberry syrup drizzled in sweet cream and topped with fresh cut apple banana bits. I cannot live without the Chevron–coconut and lime syrup topped with coconut chia seed cream (but the Dali off the Secret Menu comes in a close second–coconut syrup layered with Ghiradelli chocolate cream and chopped macadamia nuts). It’s the best shave ice in the world, then again perhaps I’m biased since it is our family’s business!
Dinner (and more)
Kalaheo Cafe serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner depending on the day. And while they are best known for their breakfast, we are huge fans of their dinner menu. Note that entrees and specials here will exceed $20 per plate but we typically get takeout from the “Hot off the grill!” selections that are paired with soup, salad, onion rings, or garlic-cilantro fries. I cannot live without the thinly-sliced french dip with mashed potatoes on the side. Honestly, it’s on our weekly rotation. While basic, the keiki menu is delicious and offers decently sized dishes as well. Indoor and outdoor seating is available.
Kiawe Roots in Poipu also serves up brunch through dinner depending on the day. They boast a fusion of local Hawaiian and Texas barbecue, and are best known for the entire dang menu being delicious. I cannot live without the fried brussel sprouts, Caesar salad (hello balsamic reduction), the kimchi fried rice, anything tinny style, and the banana bread French toast… Did I mention I practically lived off their menu during my last pregnancy? I highly suggest arriving on the earlier side for dinner because they can get quite busy.