You’ve spent the day exploring the beauty of the Garden Isle and there’s one last thing to do before calling it a day — eat a delicious dinner. We’ve hand-collected a list of the best places to enjoy a lovely meal on the South Shore of Kauai.
But wait, there’s more. We’re here to help demystify some of the unusual words you might see on menus like furikake, laulau and lilikoi — and explain which meat is being served and why. And possibly most importantly of all, provide the fun facts on the origins of local dishes.
If you’re happy with your meal, tag us @HawaiiIslander on Instagram to share the love.
Feature Photo: The Dolphin

Red Salt
2251 Poipu Rd., Koloa
855.231.4535
Kauai native and award-winning chef Noelani Planas is in the kitchen of Red Salt, located inside the Koa Kea Hotel & Resort in Poipu. Voted #1 Restaurant in Kauai by Honolulu Magazine, Red Salt offers delectable dishes like Madagascar Vanilla Bean Seared Mahi Mahi. Open daily from 7am to 11am and 530pm to 8:30pm.

The Dolphin
Family-owned and -operated for over 20 years, this place is serving seriously “ono-licious” (really tasty) food. The vibe is hip, the fish is as fresh as it gets, and the menu has got something for everyone, including all you plant-loving folk. The Dolphin is open daily from 5pm to 8pm.

Merriman’s
Chef Peter Merriman has made quite a name for himself in Hawaii, and his namesake restaurant sources ingredients locally, in order to get the freshest from local farmers, fisherman and ranchers. The cocktails are flowing and the local beers are in abundance. Of course, the food is nothing short of delicious. Merriman’s is open daily from 4pm to 9pm. Located at the Shops at Kukuiula with beautiful views of Kauai’s sunsets. Advanced reservations are highly recommended through opentable.com.
Did we miss your favorite restaurant?
Our always-hungry team of foodies have compiled this list.
Please let us know if we’ve missed your favorite eat@localgetaways.com.