Hanapepe Cafe & Bakery

This place is now open again only for FRIDAY nights. It is the best place in town to get dinner at on the west side. If I have to eat out on the Friday night art walk this is the only place I will go. They a offer a variety of options including vegetarian and a set prix fixe menu on their Friday nights. Thanks again for reopening the café. Also the chef still serves soup on the Tuesdays at Poipou Farmers Market.

This place has burned me twice now. I came 2 years ago on my honey moon and after seeing Waimea Canyon we went there for a late lunch right before 3 pm and we were turned away. They wouldn’t make us a thing. I explained that we were vegan and there wasn’t much else around and every other place near by closes at 2 pm. They didn’t care. So we had to drive back to Waimea and go to Island Taco.
Well I went again today after Waimea Canyon being sure to get there earlier (1:30 pm) and oh they are closed! I don’t know why they have 2 separate listings on here. They are the same.
They are now closed. Seems the owner has health issues and that’s the reason for closing. But in the last few years every single vegetarian place on Kauai has closed as well. The only places you can go to are Papaya’s Natural Foods and Postcards Café and the little shack across the street from it that sells taro smoothies, taro burgers and hummus sandwiches along with Hawaiian plate lunches.
It’s very sad that there are no dedicated vegetarian places on the island, but it seems people expect to eat fish everywhere they go, that or hamburgers.
Tiki Tacos in Kapa’a just opened and is supposed to have veggie tacos but when I went they were sold out so I haven’t tried it yet. Other than that there’s some Thai, Chinese or Indian places around the island as well.

5 stars through and through! We stopped on our way to Waimea Canyon. Service was awesome! We had the breakfast braid, a veggie omelet, and the freshest, flakiest, delicious croissant OF ALL TIME!

Aloha from Kaua’i!
This business closed last Saturday after a 10 year run — sad, and now the place is vacant and looking for new tenants.

Mango passionfruit turnover is light and crispy with the filling just the right amount of sweet ans tangy.
This place was recommended by our power hang gliding instructor and boy was he spot on!
Right as you walk in you are greeted by a shelf of baked goodies and a newly baked warm pie (already reserved by the way so it makes you want it even more!). As we are warmly greeted by the waitress and shown our table she encourages us to check out the display of freshly baked pastries, cakes, and pies in the left corner. At this point I am drooling and can’t wait to sink my teeth into everything.
This fine establishment is run by 3 generations of family. Grandma and granddaughter were baking and checking the shelves while mom was helping us decide on the menu. Super friendly service with a smile and great food!
We came in for brunch after our powered hang-​gliding lesson on the recommendation from our instructor and wow, he did us good! Great coffee (specially roasted for them), excellent pastries, brunch was healthy and not super greasy, and again we had awesome service. Afterwards we walked across the street to walk the hanging bridge. It’s totally safe, but kind of a trip to feel the swaying as you walk.
If you make it out Kauai, be sure to book this experience: powered hang-​gliding lesson at sunrise (or as early as possible, but ⁶⁄₇ AM was amazing), brunch at Hanapepe Café and Bakery, walk the hanging bridge, and check out the other cute shops in Hanapepe :) Aloha!

Friday night is Art Walk in Hanapepe (definitely worth seeing,) and I think it’s the only night the Café is open for dinner. In a major city this would be a 4-​star restaurant for the food, but given where it is, it’s 5– stars for finding this quality of food in Hanapepe.
Ambiance is Hawaiian-​laid back. Dress code, the same.
I’m a bit torn on this review and I wish Unilocal had a separate rating for the food and for the service, because the service bordered on the incompetent. I love the Kauai laid-​back attitude, but the woman manning the wait desk and our first waitress and no idea how to deal with the crowds of people. So minus one star for the service.
What saved it from being a terrible dinner was the food and another waitress (Kuu) who came to the rescue. And the food was remarkable. The Rosemary bread was excellent (wish there had been more than the four small squares for the table.) The Passion Salad was a wonderful combination of lettuce, grapefruit slices and macadamia nuts. The Caesar Salad had a light dressing with fresh ingredients (even though the lettuce came from CostCo.) The coconut/​ginger soup was pleasant (but a bit thin.) The Scallops and Shrimp were simply and perfectly prepared. And my Ahi Tuna tasted like it just came from the Oahu fish market on the morning flight.
While the entrees were great, the reason to go back again and again was the Hawaiian Coconut Chocolate cake. We thought it was the biggest piece of cake we ever saw (we gobbled it down before the coffee arrived.) It now holds the title of the best combination of tastes in a desert we’ve ever had. Even better when we found out that Kuu, our waitress made the cake from a recipe passed on to her by a New Zealand chef who moved on to the North 22 restaurant.
There’s a world-​class chef hidden in this restaurant.
Note, there’s no wine or liquor but a reasonable $ 5 corkage fee.
Also, this restaurant is double-​listed as the Hanapepe Café & Expresso.

I wavered between 2 stars and 3 stars for a bit, and decided upon 3. It was a personal decision whose basis has nothing to do with the café, and is solely because I feel that I’ve been quite bitchy with my other reviews as of late and that maybe I should be a bit *nicer*… Just felt that I should give that as a heads up to be of some help before you dive deeper into my review.
I went here because I asked a local where to get some vegetarian eats while we were «downtown», and they only gave us two options. The other suggested place had only one vegetarian dish that didn’t sound too thrilling, so we chose Hanapepe Café & Bakery, because, well, we were foolish and food deprived and not thinking properly.
I was taken back by how uninterested our server was. Here we were in a cute little café (by little I mean not big like a restaurant, but still roomier than most cafes) decorated with vintage items galore in beautiful Kauai, and our server looked like she was ready to hang herself. Not in a depressed suicidal way, but in a «I’d rather be ANYWHERE than here talking to human beings» sort of way. She never smiled or changed the tone of her voice, just acted robotic by taking our orders and eventually bringing them to us. Any time I asked a question it was like I was stabbing her in the chest with a knife, it pained her so to have to think beyond her routine of just writing things down on paper. So that was a downer while I was sitting there trying to enjoy the atmosphere.
I ordered the mushroom quiche (which came with a Caesar salad and I chose to have the potato and corn chowder with it also) and the boyfriend had the portabello sandwich (which came with chips). If I were smarter I would have gone with my gut instinct and just ordered a GINORMOUS bowl of the potato and corn chowder. MMmmmm. That stuff is yummmmmy. But I was being adventurous and now I have learned from my mistake.
I was hoping for a delicious flaky pie crust with a gooey eggy and cheesy filling with the added bonus of mushrooms. Turned out that the mushroom quiche was more like a frittata in texture. There was no «crust», it was like a popover or something and it wasn’t crisp or flakey. It was flat and pliable, almost like just eating bread. Gross. And the filling wasn’t very satisfying either. Not gooey, just fluffy and flavorless.
Had a bite of my boyfriend’s portabello sandwich and it was fairly bland as well. They put a hummus spread on it, which I assume it to attempt to add some flavor, but everything just tasted like the same mush. It was also very dry, it really needed something to separate the ingredients more and give it some depth.
Wish we didn’t spend as much as we did for a halfway inspired lunch.
The other thing that upset me about this place is that they put the Friday dinner menu outside to lure you in and make you THINK that they have all this amazing stuff. When you get inside and start asking where all those items are, they only have them one night a week. UGH!
This place is a let down. I wish I had a job here so I could give them some tips in the kitchen, as well as giving some service with a genuine smile.

I love this place! Great customer service and the best spaghetti I’ve ever tasted :) Pasta puttanesca is spaghetti with a Greek twist, so much flavor! And the carrot cake? Delightful!

had the hibiscus tea and mango pie both were good.
quaint interiors with hodgepodge of arts and knickknacks for sale.

This place is a gem!!! Well worth the drive from any part of the island!
We ate here SEVERAL times during our stay on Kauai.
First time was for dinner. The food was amazing. We brought our own wine (they dont serve alcohol). The waitress was very sweet and started us off with some delicious fresh rosemary bread. We shared the gazpacho with big chunks of fresh avocado, mango, and tomatoes. I had the Caribbean fish plate which was fantastic and my husband the veggie lasagna which was great as well… the eggplant it in was very tender an flavorful.
The climax was the chocolate coconut cake… a-​mazing! It was a giant piece plenty for two people!
We then returned the next three days (yes three days) for the fresh carrot cake… this is like no other carrot cake that I have EVER had and I consider myself a carrot cake expert! This carrot cake was amazingly moist… with macadamia nuts and a frosting to die for! What was extraordinary was how friendly everyone was… and how great and fast the service was! We felt so comfortable here!
Lastly, we ate at the Café for breakfast… we shared the bear claw and the breakfast loaf or breakfast roll, I cant remember the name but it was delicious… filled with eggs, ham but wait… the Potatoes were so delicious! Super brown and crunchy and seasoned just right…
I highly recommend this place to everyone!
Special Note: Hanapepe Café is only open for dinner on Friday nights when the whole town of Hanapepe comes alive! There are craft vendors, art shows, and street food along the entire main street! It is such a great time to just walk around, check out the town and enjoy all the things the vendors have!

Did you know that it is challenging being a vegetarian in Hawai’i? Well, now you know.
The Hanapepe Café is an unassuming front on the Historic Main Street of Hanapepe. The interior of the café presents a strange atmosphere. It feels much bigger than a «café & bakery» should. There is an assortment of decorations, from quilts, tea pots, and old sewing machines to art from local artists. The bakery counter is in the back left corner.
The menu is small, but everything sounds great. Average price is around $ 12 an item. I had the frittata, which came with a side Caesar salad and garlic bread. The slice of frittata was enormous and delicious. The salad was nice — the dressing wasn’t the least bit peppery or anchovy-​y (thank goodness) but had a certain something that was pretty nice. The garlic bread was average, but I didn’t need it considering how full I was from the frittata.
My boyfriend had the egg salad sandwich with avocado on focaccia bread. His meal came with chips. He loved it.
We went to Hanapepe because it had vegetarian options. (There were two salads, three vegetarian pasta dishes, and two vegetarian sandwiches.) For vegans, that menu gets cut in half, at least. Although vegetarian options on the island of Kaua’i are limited, we probably won’t go back there. The food was good, but the entire experience lacked anything special.

This is a hidden gem that is a MUST visit, whether you’re here to see the swinging bridge or not. I had the breakfast braid (a wrapped spinach quiche) with potatoes. The potatoes are red skin potatoes sliced and sprinkled with dill. It was a fantastic way to start the day. We ordered a chocolate chip cookie and a ginger cookie for the road. The best part off the trip was our server (owner?). I didn’t get her name yesterday, but I will before I leave. She was very nice and was ready to recommend anything on the menu. The whole feel of the café is simple and sweet. If you are ever displeased by your visit — you’re a fool.

Started writing a review fresh from dinner there, then lost the whole thing due to a technical glitch! Now nearly 3 weeks later, it’s still worth sharing and reviewing, because any meal that good deserves recognition.
All the reviews I have seen here are for breakfast and lunch, and that’s no surprise since the café is only open for dinner 1 night a week. If you happen to be in town on Friday nights, be sure to set aside time in your schedule for dinner. Reservations are a must, but I hope you’ll agree that it’s worth it to plan ahead!
Our party of 6 went to celebrate my mother-in-law’s birthday in late April. After viewing the Unilocal reviews, I was expecting a yummy meal but not-​super-​fancy evening. Boy, does the Hanapepe Café dress up nicely for dinner! Black table cloths and linen napkins change the atmosphere from beach casual to nice casual (don’t panic, guys, this is Kauai, so flip flops are still acceptable!).
First impression promised a lot; desserts displayed at the entry, friendly greeting by the hostess, local art for sale on the walls, sparkling place settings, and clean, bright décor. We were seated right on time for our reservations.
The daily menu was created by chef Helen (pics to be posted later), with ingredients fresh from the market. We were personally visited by Helen mid-​meal when she found out that we were celebrating a birthday. She, her family and the rest of the staff sure made us feel welcome. While we were making our dinner choices, we were served fresh warm herbed bread with olive oil. I could already tell at this point that my pre-​conception was WRONG, but in a good way.
What we ended up ordering:
pineapple gazpacho — chunks of fruit, cukes, onion, and chiles (a little spicy for birthday girl, but a great starter for the rest of us that tried it)
carrot, coconut, lemongrass bisque — a taste of silky heaven! You wouldn’t think that the flavors would meld so well, but they were amazing together!
date salad w/​coconut dressing — besides the obvious dates (not normally a fan, but I was too curious to pass this one up), there were carrots, oranges, red onions, candied pecans, ginger, on a bed of organic mixed greens. The dressing was not overly strong, but was a delicious complement to the existing flavors. The purple orchid garnish was a lovely touch.
fresh island ahi — w/​lemon buerre blanc, scalloped potatoes, asparagus, and peas w/​mint. This veggie girl tried the potatoes (creamy, and not too oily) asparagus and peas – all cooked to perfection
angel hair pasta with probably the freshest pesto I’ve ever tasted
curly cue pasta with butter and parmesan for the little one. Anyone would expect this to be ho-​hum to an adult palate, especially compared to the rest of the menu, but it was fantastic and flavorful as well.
eggplant/​spinach lasagne – SUPER FRESH marinara according to our guest of honor
All of the main dishes were super-​sized. 2 of our party shared the lasagne, and the leftover pasta fed our girls on our flight home the next day.
drinks: BYOB, $ 5 corkage fee
The hibiscus herbal tea was light and not too sweet
desserts:
we shared a crème brûlée, mango pie (tasted like the fresh fruit, although it was baked), and a chocolate brownie-​cake. According to Helen’s daughter Andrea, the mango pie will sometimes include Aunt Lilikoi’s passion fruit sauce, depending on availability. The pie and cake were served a la mode with Lappert’s vanilla ice cream. Amazingly enough, this chocoholic can’t remember details about the chocolate cake because it was completely eclipsed by the other desserts. We did manage to choke it all down, though. :)
I’m not one to patronize the super snobby restaurants where you have to dress to the hilt in order to gain entry. However, I will hazard a guess that chef Helen can compete with any of the others. This is probably one of the best meals I have ever had, yet we felt at ease in Hawaiian/​California garb, with a 5-​year-​old in the party. The food was beautiful, delicious, and served by a friendly staff, the environment was comfortable, and the price was reasonable. We ended the evening enjoying Hanapepe’s art walk – perfect way to work off some of those calories.
From now on, our visits to Kauai will be incomplete unless we spend a Friday evening in Hanapepe. Thank you to Helen Lacono, her family and staff for a memorable meal!

Their mango pie is a little bit of heaven. The mango filling was fresh, and not too sweet… it’s a cooked filling. The pie crust appeared to be a whole wheat crust/​grain and it was nice and crispy with a sprinkling of sugar crystals — yum! I also tried their macaroon pie, which was also pretty spectacular. Coffee was very good — no decaf though. Menu is largely vegetarian… will definitely go back and try some oft heir real food. Ordered the mango turnover to go since I was so in love with pie — same great filling, but they used a flaky pastry crust (I liked the pie crust better). Don’t miss this great café.

Bakery goods were WONDERFUL. We couldn’t make a choice so had the chocolate coconut cake, macadamia nut pie and pineapple ginger pie. I highly recommend them all. This is one of the better bakeries we’ve been too… not just in Hawaii but across the country, everything fresh and homemade. The
chocolate cake had fresh large slivers of coconut in the butter frosting, the mac. pie was more like a pecan with caramelized sugar (not cream) and the surprise was how great the pineapple ginger was. I highly recommend this place… we might even come back for real food… if they were out of cake!

Great place! Has lots of options if your vegan. I had the health nut sandwhich and it was really yummy. Instead of the chips get the salad it was fresh and wonderful!

Incredible!
Apple Pie — Cinnamon Roll — German chocolate cake –Mango turnover… I’m a fitness trainer on vacation baby!

Two years in a row I visited the Hanapepe Bakery while in Kauai. Some of the best baked goods I have had on the island. Nice atmosphere and friendly staff — I recommend going early in the morning.

Great place to relax and have breakfast

This was the cutest bakery that I found in Kauai. The have yummy stuff like macadamia nut cinnamon rolls, chocolate coconut pie and sweet potato pie. The place is pretty big with plenty of tables and chairs to eat in. The location is not the greatest in this sleepy town of Hanapepe which is a short walk of galleries, book stores, and the swinging bridge.