Kauai Ono

3 stars for the overall outdoor experience, and 4 STARS for the food. The local sourced food was tasty, unique, and delicious, cooked well. But it’s still a tent outside, and from a food truck. Everyone brought their own alcohol, so I guess this event is better if you are drunk. One waiter for almost 30 people isn’t enough. The food presentation isn’t very good, but taste was great, and we got plenty food to get full. This isn’t for everyone, if you’re down for super casual, don’t mind being in outside on the grass, and a sort of communal table feel, then go for it. But keep in mind what $ 60 pp can get you at BarAcuda or Hukilau Lanai or Postcards… a lot better service too… overall its real fun and these guys work hard to give you a unique culinary experience

My husband and I were lucky enough to dine with Kauai Ono on our vacation during the Christmas week. This was by far our favorite meal of the whole trip! The food was absolutely delicious, beautifully presented, and really showcased the locally sourced foods of Kauai’s land and sea. It was also a delight to share a communal table with other travelers and even some local farmers. Thank you, Kauai Ono, we can’t wait to return on our next trip!!!

It’s a very unique and fun experience for Kauai. I love that they use local and organic ingredients. The setting is beautiful under a tent! All of the courses were wonderful and very flavorful. However, the price is a bit too high (hence, 4 stars)

Definitely unique dishes and great atmosphere with group seating at large tables. Nice meeting other travelers. Only issue was value for money. $ 60/​person plus tip makes this a $ 300 + experience for 4. Portion sizes were small — after 5 courses left still hungry. They should double the portion size of the shrimp, butter fish, and brisket courses and it would have been a 5 star dinner.

Overall this was a great experience. While others have mentioned that this is located in Hanalei, for the night I attended it was just to the south of the main Princeville area. I was happy with all five courses, but I left feeling a little unsatisfied. Honestly, had their been bread and butter, or maybe even an additional cheese course, that probably would have been enough for me. The menu for my night included a perfectly cooked big headed shrimp (head and tail on), a fish I can’t remember with green beans, a delicious kale salad, Ono fish with purple potatoes, and a taro mochi cake. The food was well-​prepared, the experience was unique, I just wish I had a little more in my stomach at the end. The concept was enjoyable and we met some interesting fellow travelers. For the Princeville area the price is probably not outrageous, and the value is reasonable. If you want a unique experience, aren’t shy, and are potentially willing to go grab ice cream afterward, this is probably right up your ally. Plan ahead, though. They’re only open a few nights a week.

Funky high end experience under a tent, next to highway with plenty of bugs. Locally sourced food is good but overrated compared to other farm to tables meals I’ve experienced on the mainland. I love tasting menus but both my husband and myself left hungry… which is no bueno considering the price point ($ 60pp).
The experience is good for tourists interested in meeting other people but they think pretty highly of themselves. I brought up the small portions with Justin and he brushed me off saying «we have kind of been in a rut of late and wanted to mix it up as to not bore ourselves.»
If you’re wanting a change of pace then go for it, but no worries if you miss this one since they apparently don’t care about diner satisfaction.

A dining experience! Dinner under a tent with 2 long tables of 20 guests. BYOB and remember the bug spray.
5 courses for $ 60; the servings are small & creative.

For what it is, I will give this five stars. What is it you ask? It is a unique dining experience. It is a meal prepared with ingredients primarily from the north shore of Kauai, and served outdoors beneath a large tent at community tables. When we went, there were three tables, two that sat about 10 people each, and a third large table that sat about 24 – 28 people. You definitely need reservations, and I suggest calling to make reservations rather than online, because it seems like you will have better luck that way.
All five courses were delicious and excellently prepared. Being outside on a tropical island at night, you would be well served to cover yourself with bug repellent before dinner. This is a bring your own beverage situation, with only water provided, but they do have coolers with ice to keep you beverage cool.
You need to be prepared to have to talk with strangers at your table, and you should not be a picky eater, although they do ask about allergies. It was expensive, but it was an experience that you do not get every day, and it was food you do not often, if ever, get to eat. If you like good and interesting food, you should definitely give it a try.

The Kailua pig is incredible. We tried the pineapple sweet tea and it tasted exactly as it sounds. Overall I would recommend this for a great Hawaiian plate lunch. Be sure to stop at the wishing well for shaved ice afterwards (it is the best in the north shore).

For us, vacations are just as much about awesome dining experiences as they are about seeing the sites. After reading many reviews I found few foodie type options in Kauai but eventually stumbled upon Kauai Ono. The farm/​sea to table is a concept we love and all the ingredients are macro-​locally sourced.
The 5 courses we superb! We started off with whole prawns with garlic saffron butter, followed by a fresh kale salad, pan seared moonfish with Thai inspired noodles, pulled pork with a purple sweet potato, and a mango dessert to cap the night. You could taste the freshness in every bite.
It’s BYOB so plan accordingly. They provide ice bins to keep things cool. The servers where very friendly and knowledgeable on each dish.
They have limited seatings so reservations are a must. We made ours 2 months in advance when we booked the trip but some of the folks sitting at our communal table made theirs earlier in the week.
Earlier reviews mentioned bugs so we pre-​sprayed with bug spray. But I’m not sure we needed it as bugs didn’t seem to be a problem for us.
Thanks Kauai Ono for a memorable night! Best of luck to you all and we hope to see you next time we’re on the island.

Fantastic dining experience. We love the farm/​sea to table concept and the fact they avoid ingredients not native to the island. Table was communal. It seems everybody there was from California, and folks were generous sharing their wine (next time we’d bring some bubbly, too). Dishes are relatively simple and straight-​forward. Chef Justin began the evening with his philosophy, and each course was fully explained. Several of us lingered afterwards to chat.
Dining is outdoors, under a tent. Gnats were a bit of an issue before the sun went down, but we were outdoors on a tropical island (we don’t have many of those in Ohio and we still get bugs!). You can bring your own wine, or have it brought over from the wine shop in Princeville. You won’t know the menu ahead of time (which is part of the charm) so select your wine accordingly.
Servers were friendly, prompt, and unobtrusive. They prefer cash, and most folks complied with that. Overall, a great experience that is well worth doing.

Dinner was delicious and a great chance to taste the local ingredients. The service was great and they took time to explain what each dish was and where the ingredients come from. The food was natural and tasty and the BYOB policy just added to the experience!

Had a lovely meal here last week in the new Princeville location. Loved the rustic vibe of the tables and the pretty, natural décor under an open tent. The food was delicious. Simple, fresh, interesting flavors. We were perfectly full, but not stuffed afterward. This is an experience not to miss in Kauai. We left our kid with the grandparents for this evening, and I was glad. While he would have eaten most of the courses, it’s was definitely a more adult scene.
They prefer cash, but take credit cards. The mosquitoes here after a rainy afternoon were utterly unrelenting. We put on 15% Deet and still got eaten alive. If I had to do it over, I’d wear long pants and spray myself with stronger bug spray.

Killer concept: the pop-​up farm-​to-​table restaurant, where the kitchen is a custom designed food truck. And Chef Justin made sure to emphasize before the meal that it’s about local and authentic, not Michelin stars. But after having the whole experience ., I’m voting for a star, or two. Great concept, great execution!

The most unique dining experience we’ve ever had at Kaua’i Ono. We called Justin for a reservation and we were lucky enough to get the last two spots. He was very attentive and accommodating, immediately asking if there were any food restrictions that the chef needed to be aware of. He also let the us know that the dinner is BYOB so you can bring your own beer and wine which was awesome. There were ice buckets set up to keep your drinks cold. Water was provided if you didn’t bring anything to drink.
The setting is entirely unique, there were four big wooden tables with 10 people per table underneath a big white tent on a grass lawn. You are surrounded by nature with a peek at the ocean over the lawn.
Food was absolutely amazing. As each course was brought out they would announce what ingredients were in each dish and where those ingredients were sourced from. Our first dish was a local shrimp, which they apologized for being from the «west end» of the island instead of the north shore. The food was incredibly fresh and deliciously prepared. Our second dish was a sweet potato with pork and caramelized onions, third dish a salad, fourth dish a delicious fish in a pork broth and with a macadamia nut pesto. The fifth and final dish was a Mochi rice flour cake with a guava and papaya sauce on top.
We ended up having a wonderful time. We met new people at the dinner from all around the world and actually ended up exchanging information with some of them by the end to stay in contact after the dinner. Overall a marvelous experience! We will definitely come back and do it again!

This was a great find and such a fun night. The food is fantastic and the setting under the tent & candle lights was great. We also love the BYOB program :) if your in the area this is a must go

Ate here last night, first time in new location. Delicious as always, same great staff and loved meeting the people at our table. This is the most unique, delicious experience in Kauai dining. Truly a laid back Kauai Ono feel!
Great job Justin, we love it, glad you’re back!!!
(The dessert was to die for!!)

A wonderful dining experience on the North Shore, Hanalei, Kauai. 5 course meal, very unique, food is like art when it is delivered to the table and it is truly delicious.
Our meal included a seared ono, pulled pork dish, two different salads, and a liquid chocolate dessert. The chef also accommodated for one of our guests who could not eat fish.
Minus 1 star = location not very nice on the grass next to several parking lots and the main traffic road in Hanalei (doesn’t fit the quality of the meal), long walk to the bathroom, we were also unexpectedly cold and there were no heat lamps.
Overall a very nice food experience and I would definitely recommend.

Kauai Ono was hands down our favorite dining experience in Kauai. Not only was the food amazing, but the experience was exceptional.
My husband and I both love food and we do lots of research before committing to dining somewhere. Especially on vacation, since we want to hit lots of places. So I was a little hesitant given some of the Unilocal reviews. I am so glad we went with our gut. It was my birthday and our anniversary and the whole night was perfect.
The courses consisted of a Butterfish, ceviche, salad, local beef and a breadfruit churro. All of the portions were nicely sized and impeccably cooked. I really do not understand the criticisms of the amount of food or the quality. It was all fantastic. And the people we met also added to the experience. Do yourself a favor and make a reservation!

The other reviews hit the nail on the head.
Great food and fun. BYOB
Wish we could have dined there more but only open 2 days a week for dinner.
The menu changes regularly so expect a pleasant surprise.