Kalapaki Joe’s Waimea

This is a great place for happy hour… service can be hit or miss depending on who is working but overall a fun time for not a lot of dough.

The people were great and the deck seating was amazing but at lunch it was totally dead … And now we know why! The food was kinda meh. Great beer selection. I had the Malibu Veggie Burger but I’m not sure what was Malibu about it… Said it came with caramelized onions but they were sautéed at best. Cheese was unmelted and the bun was just silly. It was enormous, square, dry and white. Clearly there should be no intention to eat this sucker with your hands. The fries were crispy and the avocado in the sandwich was perfectly ripe. My husband had the fish and chips but it was super dry and a little tough. Service was great and we were treated very well. Met a cat who would have liked a little snack, but instead she sacked out under a chair. Go for the beer but stick to the pupus.

Curtis was awesome! Understaffed & busy but we were approached by 4 Diff staff members and accommodated at every turn. Totally stop by if you are visiting or just haven’t been lately. Their happy hour is the best part!

The really wonderful thing about this place was it’s on the grounds of Waimea Plantation Cottages. Food was really good and the beer was always served cold. They have a large selection of beer on tap for those that like variaty.

Decent food at a place run by people who seem to have no clue how to run a restaurant. It was conveniently located at Waimea Plantation Cottages, where I was staying (but not connected and they CAN’T put your check on the room tab).
There never seems to be be a host or maitre d’ and you just seat yourself — but I had to accost a passing employee to find that out. My first meal was pretty good: «local style» New York steak with teriyaki sauce and grilled onions, accompanied by white rice and a quite good salad (I recommend the passion fruit vinaigrette). Service was ok. Dessert was a prefab ice cream pie thing: just ok, but the portion was massive. So far, so good.
Not so good the second time. Much of the place was taken up by a wedding rehearsal dinner, and they seemingly made no provision for other customers. I finally found a table in a section that seemed free. A waitress came over to tell me she hadn’t planned to open that section but didn’t want to chase people away. I should have fled, as service predictably turned out to be painfully slow and erratic. I had a plantation burger (mushrooms, bacon and Swiss cheese) that was quite good, but the fries that came with it were grotesquely overseasoned with some awful seasoned salt mixture laid on by the shovelful. They were seriously the worst french fries I have ever had. Ever.
It took me a full 20 minutes to get my check. My server was nowhere to be found and attempts to flag down someone else were futile. She finally zipped by, dropped off my check with a perfunctory apology and disappeared again. I don’t blame the waitress, who was clearly swamped. The place appears to be run by idiots. It’s a shame, since with a little effort it could be pretty good.

The only positive aspect of our lunch experience was the setting: old Hawaii. We shared a hamburger which without doubt was the worst restaurant hamburger I have ever had. The beef barely tasted like beef and was completely over cooked. The bread was thick and dry and the onions were not carmelized as described and the cheese was simply greasy. No one ever came to ask how everything was tasting. There are too many other choices with beautiful views or nice ambiance.

This place is great. Good food, yummy large drinks, and omg, CATS! They have little cats walking around that are so sweet! It’s hard to find a nice place to eat around this island, this is a little gem. A little old, but almost any place on this island is old, so this is great!

My wife and I came here on 8÷5÷15. We came because of a tour we were on. The place is located with great scenery. Unfortunately, that was the best part.
Our server didn’t appear for roughly 5 – 10 minutes. Once we ordered and received our food I didn’t see my server until I got up and looked for her. I hade to do this 3 times for more napkins, condiments, and for our bill. The server was kind but had too much on her plate. The restaurant knew our tour was coming in and they didn’t prepare by having enough help. Or they might have had a bad day. None the less, it was very pleasant for us. They also didn’t have ice cream for their brownie dessert. Being that we were looking forward to this dessert, didn’t help the situation.
We both ordered burgers and they were very gratifying. But the slow service steered this review.

Sports, Beer, Wings, what else do you need? A little older but with charm, a little aloha, a great staff.
If am I watching sports I am here, if I want a burger I am here.

I give this place a 4 because the drinks (both kinds) were very good and hubby especially liked the fact that they carry a Rogue ale with an IBU of 80. POG was good and came in a pint glass, instead of a tiny little glass. Hubby had the tuna sandwich. This is not «yo’ mama’s» tuna sandwich! It had a grilled 6 oz. Ahi tuna steak on it! It was hot (sriracha hot), so I didn’t try it.
I had the Loco Moco Deluxe. Oh man! 2 *huge* hamburger patties over rice with a mushroom gravy and caramelized onions and a *perfect* over-​medium egg on the top of the patties. Wow! Loved it!
Service was pretty good too. Plus it’s a «sports» bar. No A/​C, though. Bummer.

Pretty hit or miss dining experience here. Depending on who is working the kitchen or the floor. Last time we had a server «Br**» that was very inattentive, did not come to check on us and in fact only saw him when he took our order and dropped off our tab. We were well taken cared of by a bus boy who was constantly in the area that we had to bother him several times to fill our water, drinks and get dessert!
The food that we had the last time was not so great. We asked for medium steaks and got well done. Because the server did not come to check on us we could not relay our displeasure with our food.
We’ve been there countless of times since they opened and the quality of food and service has diminished quite a bit. The only options is Wrangler’s in Waimea which we’ve had terrible experiences with but less than 5 minutes from home and Kalaheo Rib’s which is a half an hour’s drive away.
Either they start upping the training and quality of workers or this place is going to lose it’s local customers. It’s pretty sad because I want to support local owned businesses but for the price, the quality has to be there too.

Had an awesome breakfast! Good ser

Alan and I debated extensively whether our lunch here today was 3.49 or 3.51. We were heading west and decided to bypass Wrangler’s Grill to see what had moved into the space where Waimea Brewing Company had been. When we drove into the parking lot we saw it was Kalapaki Joe’s. I walked into the bar while Alan parked. I was offered a table in back and took it. We haven’t sat on the back lanai in at least a decade. The restaurant prior to the brewing company had used it, but the brewing company used only the front deck area for outside seating. The back lanai is serene and beautiful, w/​views of the property as well as the ocean in the distance. It was a pleasure to return there.
Service was pro forma, disengaged and inattentive. We were given menus. Our drink orders were taken, iced tea for me and iced coffee for Alan. It took her about 10 minutes to return to take our food orders after bringing us our drinks. Alan debated between fish tacos and the fish sandwich, both made w/​hebi, a firm white fish. He decided on the sandwich, specifying low/​no added salt. He opted for a salad on the side rather than fries. I saw a whole grilled artichoke under Appetizers and my decision was made. She expressed surprise that this was all I was having.
After a bit of a wait our meals arrived. A party of 12 Japanese tourists arrived shortly after we did and had clearly ordered ahead, which was sensible and efficient, but it probably put the kitchen a little behind, though not seriously. When I saw my artichoke I was astonished. It was three halves, each one a good size. They had been marinated in a garlic & olive oil vinaigrette before being grilled. They were served with basil pesto & aioli, but were so flavorful as is that I didn’t use the dips. I was beyond thrilled and would have the artichoke again in a heartbeat. Alan was less pleased w/​his fish sandwich, which was served on foccacia. He found the fish dry. The salad, which was generously portioned and fresh looking, came w/​ranch dressing because the server didn’t ask what kind he wanted. He requested blue cheese dressing instead. We agreed we’d come back for the setting and the artichoke and Alan would find something else on the menu.

Good place! However, our food took long to get to our table. The food was good but with the descriptions on the menu my expectations were higher. I got the blue cheese burger which was good but would’ve been nice if it had more cheese.
My nephew had the nachos which looked super good and they were big too.
Overall experience maybe a 7. If the wait wasn’t so long it could’ve been better.

Their lanai is awesome because your view is the cottage grounds and the ocean– LOVE.
Their food — not so awesome. I had the teriyaki fish with bacon. it was terrible. I didn’t think anyone could mess up fish, let alone having something taste bad with bacon. Hubs had the poke salad which wasn’t spectacular either. Pricey food that’s not delicious is not a good thing.
Their baked brie and garlic bread dish IS AWESOME.
So my conclusion is just order the baked brie dish and some beer. Can’t really mess up beer!
They did just start up free karaōke on Monday nights!

24 beers on tap! Including some excellent Hawaii beers. Try the coconut shrimp and the baby Brie platter. Lovely partial views of the ocean from the lanai.

I’ve been here twice.
The first was for dinner one evening. I got the fish tacos and thought they were decent, though nothing to write home about. There was a local band that night and even though we are in the front patio, the music was so loud we couldn’t hear one another speak. It was not an enjoyable environment!
The second time was for breakfast. My sister and I ordered and then switched plates so we could both try something different. I ordered the Bananas Foster Pancakes which were delicious. She ordered the Kalua Pork dish which was phenomenal! I never would have ordered this and certainly never would have thought to pair these items together in one dish, but was, by far, the best breakfast I had while on Kauai.
We ate on the back patio which only added to the experience. It was very serene and offered a great view.

Great place. We are staying near by and come here 5 out of 7 nights while we are working on PMRF. The staff working there remember us and have our favorites ready when we walk in. The food is really good. I hope this place does good and sticks around for the long run. They have a great Happy Hour. 3−6pm I think.
Aloha

It’s only worth it to go for happy hour.
Food:
Some were good, some okay.
The wings are 25 cents during HH!
The wonton appetizer was delish.
The $ 3 HH grilled fish taco was mediocre. Fresh yes, but a bit bland. I’ve had better $ 1 – 2 fish tacos in SoCal.
Service:
Service was inconsistent. One time, the server was attentive and on it. Another time, the server hardly checked up on us.
I liked the atmosphere, it’s chill. It’s a good place to wind down and relax for a meal.
I love the view from the outdoor back patio. It’s a view of the Waimea cottages property. If you’re not headed for the bar, sit outside on the patio.