Mark’s Place

Mark's Place –Tasty Island Takeout, Cakes, and Omiyage Snacks for Your Trip Home
Local Expert's Rating:
4.5 / 5
The Bottom Line:

Mark’s Place is East Side Kauai’s prime spot for plate lunches featuring all the best island flavors – but that’s not all they do. They also make six-inch round to full sheet cakes to order plus all the omiyage snacks you want to take home.  

- The HawaiianIslands.com Local Expert Team

At Mark’s Place, flavorful takeout plates are their specialty, although that’s not the end of their offerings. They also grace the East Side Kauai community with special order cakes plus prepackaged omiyage snacks. Thanks to their location right by the Lihue airport, this is often the first place tourists go for a hearty meal and their last stop for omiyage snacks to give as gifts upon returning home.  

Their takeout plates always come overflowing with delicious sides and entrees. Their most popular entrées include Beef Stew, Chicken Katsu, and Loco Moco. If you cannot choose between all the options, go with their Combination Plate to select your three top choices.

No matter what entrees you order, count on getting a big scoop of white rice and an equally generous portion of potato macaroni salad alongside. If you’d rather skip those sides, ask for the miniplate instead. This is a good idea if you want extra entrees to share, but already have enough sides for each person in your group.

Their cakes range from six-inch rounds to full sheets and come in a wide variety of delicious flavors, including gluten-free options. Their Brown Butter Lilikoi is always the talk of the town, while the Guava Chiffon never fails to delight. For something a little more decadent, try their Ube Leche Flan over Ube Japanese Cheesecake. Although they typically use whipped cream frosting for all their cakes, you can request buttercream if you prefer.

When you want memorable gifts to give your friends, family, and coworkers upon returning home, you cannot go wrong with their omiyage snacks. They have everything from Macadamia Nut Tea Cookies and Pineapple Rum Cake to Dried Ahi and Kamaboko Dip, although their Butter Mochi is a fan favorite.

You absolutely must try their:

Smoked Ahi Dip
When you want to whet your appetite before digging into the main course, the Smoked Ahi Dip is always a good choice. This awesome dip features teriyaki marinated Ahi that’s smoked to perfection over hickory chips. You’ll want to order a sleeve or two of Ritz crackers to scoop it up, although it’s good enough to eat with a spoon.

Mark’s Famous Mixed Plate
A combination plate to remember, Mark’s Famous Mixed Plate makes it easy to get all the most popular options in one meal. When you order this plate, you’ll get Chicken Katsu, Teriyaki Beef, and Beef Stew as your entrees. Then, they’ll give you a generous helping of white rice and potato macaroni salad to bring it all together.

Spam Musubi
An island favorite, the Spam Musubi goes great alongside any of the takeout plates. As is tradition, this dish features a hearty slice of spam cooked up right, and then wrapped in seasoned rice and nori. To take all the flavors to the next level, ask for a side of teriyaki sauce for dipping.

Although they do have picnic tables outside, you can have a much more memorable dining experience by taking your takeout plates to any of the nearby beaches. While there, you can take in the gorgeous views and watch the fun all around as you chow down. Then, you can get cleaned up and enjoy beachside adventures for the rest of your day without having to go anywhere else.

Insider Tips:
-Every day, new specials hit the board, so keep your mind open when you go to order.
-In addition to their regular cakes, they do custom cakes for weddings and other special occasions. You just have to give them a call to start the conversation about your preferred cake design and flavors.
-Prefer brown rice over white? Just ask and they’ll sub it out. They also have tossed greens for a small extra charge.