Anahola Cafe and Saimin Stand

New Owner and sad to say it’s completely different now from what it used to be.
The food is either overcooked (loco moco, with plain gravy) or undercooked (saimin, cold broth and hard noodles) coffee comes in a 711 type styrofoam cup.
I used to come here often and everything was good, but the last couple times. I’ve been disappointed. Still tried the breakfast and it was the worst breakfast I’ve ever had. Won’t be returning.

Saimin didn’t really hit the spot for me, but the place was comfy & servers the were sweet.

When we first came to this eating establishment. I was very surprised how the food tasted n the portions. We liked it a lot!.. So we were planning to come back again in the future. But, When we came it was closed. We came a few times n it was not open. Then we were heading for the north shore to spend some time there we noticed it was open. So we were happy To stop by to order lunch to enjoy when we reached our destination. So We ordered the Teri Chicken, Roast pork n side order onion rings. So when we were going to enjoy our lunch I was not happyMy Teri chicken plate was like a mini plate. Some small pieces of chicken n the roast pork plate looked like kalua pig not what we were expecting at all. At least the onion rings were ok. For spending over $ 20.00 for this meal. I was very very disappointed… I’m a local n I always want to support local!.. But I don’t want to get ripped off you know… Im not saying not to try this place. But its my experience going here…

Great food, teriyaki chicken, moco loco, Anahola local veggies salad, Oreo cheesecake, pumpkin crunch (walnuts, cheesecake?, pumpkin and whipped cream). Everything was really really yummy, amazing service too. Looks like a lot of locals eat here too. Mmmmmmmmm, I want to eat every meal here, maybe forever

Things have changed radically since we first started coming here: They now have Pizza (from 4pm), but the big change is their DE emphasis on what used to be their gourmet plate lunches. Example: one of my favorites was the Roast Pork plate: 4 – 5 medallions of pork tenderloin with some of the best sauce I’ve had: in fact the signature of this Cafes’s plate lunches was the sauces crafted for each: The chef was outstanding. I ordered this the first week of May 2016, and I got pulled pork, drowning in a brown mushroom sauce that tasted like it came out of a can… the hamburger steak was just two patties together with. again…what tasted like canned gravy! The Mac salad used to be one of the best on the island… not, they give you so little… ah, well! So goes one of the plate lunch gems on the east shore. Doubt we’ll even try the pizza… Very sad! Now, we will gave to go in to Kapa’a for decent food.

Saimin wasn’t piping hot. I don’t recommend this place. It’s the basic package Saimin you can find at Foodland.

Local road side out door café. Fun menu. Super nice staff. Concierge recommended for a kid friendly, low key spot. Fish is a must try here. Loco moco for the kids.

These beautiful people accommodated us well. Saimin is basically ramen with a few meats, it was great. Thank you!

We drove out because of all the five star reviews.
This was not five star food.
Only chicken dish was the teri chicken so we shared that with a side of onion rings. They had pizza also but not until after 4pm. We were there at 3. The saimin looked great but it was all pork and we don’t eat pork.
The chicken was very fatty and had a very funny taste to it. It was covered in teri sauce which still didn’t mask the weird taste of the chicken.
The onion rings were hard and stale like. Only dipping sauce was ketchup or mustard.
Don’t bother with this place if you are looking for plate lunch. Go to the huli chicken stand instead. That place was AMAZING!

We stopped by for a late lunch and ordered fried saimin and kalua pork. The place was completely deserted and service was meh. The employee who took our order didn’t offer a smile or a hello. The kalua pork was way too salty and we had to throw out ¹⁄₃ of our noodles because they stuck to a piece of paper at the bottom of the togo box. Average food. Average service. Don’t think I’ll be coming back.

Food is awesome. Got the Saimin. One of the best dishes I ate while in Kauai. And the atmosphere is great too.

Ordered the teriyaki burger and it really hit the spot. Was a great stop overall. Fries were great. Tasted home cooked with fresh vegetables too. I will be back for sure!

Yummy saimin. Little salty but lots of good stuff happening in the special bowl. Mustard green, roast pork, spam, boiled egg, Wontons. Service is top notch! !!

Go here. Eat the loco moco for lunch. Like it so much go back for dinner. Have the XL saimen bowl. Love it. That is all.

We came here for lunch on the weekend and it was the best meal we had during our trip. The pork and cabbage was AMAZING. I got the chicken teriyaki which was also delicious. Reasonably priced and awesome plate lunches made the Anahola Café the clear winner on the east shore.

Love, love, love the saimin (get the large or extra large to get the «special» ingredients)! The spicy meat (pork) was great as well. Wish I could’ve tried everything on the menu. Definitely will be a go-​to place for me whenever I’m back on da island.

I just stopped in to grab some fried saimin to go. It was incredible! This is one of my favorite dishes so far on this island. I’m hoping to have this everyday while I’m in Kauai. The barbecue pork was perfect. I would give it five stars if I could have stayed to experience the service. Just from ordering at the window, the woman at the counter was very friendly.

This past weekend we decided to check this place out after seeing all the positive 5 star reviews. On a Saturday night, it was completely empty. The set up was really homey that it felt like I was in someone’s backyard, with the tarp tent and booths. It just felt a little awkward because there was someone singing live music but only our party of four was there. This would be a great venue for a grad party or big get together. We ordered:
–Saimin specials
–Small loco moco
–Side order of smoked meat
Their saimin was delicious! Their broth was really tasty and not overly salty. The smoked was good but a little burnt. Overall, I really like this place. Hamura’s or Anahola’s? Can’t say which but you should really try this place out.

their saimin was okay, they are open late, which helps if you are hungry at night. they are not exactly convenient, so it takes about 15 minutes from kapaa.
the service but robotic (seems the cashier lady couldn’t care any less), the price a bit high. they have seating, but you really don’t want to sit there unless you want to feed mosquitos
same food, better price, can be had at other restaurant in kapaa or lihue. like i said, unless you are looking for food at night, this place can be skipped.

Best Teriyaki Chicken I have ever tasted! Love the Aloha Spirit and hospitality by the owners. My daughter had the Loco Moco, which she said was the best! Thank you.

This place looks like a shack from the road but oh my god is the food fantastic. Should have stopped here before but never did. Glad we turned around and tried it. You should too

God, Yes!!!
That is old school Saimin! Personally, prefer more wontons in it. But I am not complaining. The extra large is the way to go. The only way to eat saimin is to stuff your face until you can’t eat any more. I miss this sort of food.

Ordered the fried saimin and it was yummy! More in the wetter side but the sauce they used was really good.
Nice place to just kick back and have lunch plus they have free wifi!

Amazing! We ordered the Kailua pork, ribs, and teriyaki chicken… it was all outstanding. Great home cooking, at its best. It is worth the drive out of Ka’apa to eat here. Service was good and you can tell it is a local community center where everyone hangs out. Run by the locals for everyone to enjoy. It’s just great. It isn’t much to look at, but don’t let looks fool you when it comes to this place!

My first time with Saimin. It was fantastic! The broth is very flavorful– it totally hit the spot! The lady at the front was very helpful and recommended the Special Saimin. I took it to go. Once I got home, I realize there was enough for 3 of us! Looks like a neat place for dinner. There is lots of outdoor seating with a stage. Gotta love this island!

My wife & I had lunch at Anahola Café and Saimin Stand on Friday 1 May.
The opening hours seemed to have stabilized and they are only closed on Mondays.
I always order the Special Saimin Extra Large as I am a devotee of the well prepared noodle soup. I used to rate the Saimin at Anahola Café as the best on the island, but of late I am switching to the Kauai Special Saimin served at Waipouli Deli and Restaurant as there are more added ingredients at the Waipouli Deli and Restaurant.
My wife ordered the Teriyaki Ono plate that she enjoyed but wished the wasabi seasoned sauce had been served on the side.
The service is always friendly and prompt. Give this unassuming road side eatery a try and you will likely become a regular.

Doesn’t look like much from the road, but this place is not to be missed.
We ordered the Kalua Pork and Cabbage plate which was amazing. Huge portion of pork and great flavor. Sides of mac and rice were also generous.
Also had the extra large Saimin special. Excellent bowl of perfectly seasoned broth, tender noodles, pork, wontons and egg. Be sure to order the extra large because it comes with double the stuff for only $ 1 more.
Definitely a repeat stop!!!

Best saimin spot on Kauai. It’s right off the 56 hwy with its own parking lot. I came here at 2:30pm on a Thursday not realizing they weren’t open till 3pm. Luckily, the staff were eating in the dining area. They quickly jumped into to work mode and served us. The delicious bowls of saimin came out within 5 minutes. I really appreciate the affordable prices. Most inexpensive meal of my entire 2 weeks vacation. I intend on becoming a regular before my trip is over.
Also, I came back for dinner. :) They close at 10pm.

Best saimin I’ve had! The broth is flavorful and the soup has hard boiled eggs, veggies, wontons and roasted pork. Also had the teriyaki grilled ono and it was also really good. The dish comes with mac salad and rice. The teriyaki on the ono was good, not too sweet. There’s also a wasabi cream that adds a little something different to the taste, in a good way, just wish it had more kick. There’s only outdoor seating, which is a why I knocked off one star because of all the flies and mosquitoes.

Best food we had on Kauai, by a long shot. Adorable little roadside stand, run by a lovely woman. Noodles were perfectly tender and chewy, broth was clear and flavorful (not overly salty), and the hot mustard /​soy condiment put it over the edge.
Tip: stop by the Huli Huli chicken joint next door for some great grilled chicken! But expect a lecture in Hawaiian independence.

So ONO!!!
I wish this place more success… its easy to miss. If you blink when you are driving down Kuhio you will miss it. If you do, I urge you to turn around and stop by to eat here… it trully is a hidden gem. The Saimin is excellent and the ono (Wahoo) was done very well.
The lady in the front was very friendly and helpful. There is plenty of seating outside. The area is clean and well kept. You also get food on actual plates if you eat here. This is definitely a local business that I am proud to support.