A hearty, filling, and oh-so-delicious breakfast is a must before you kick off all your Kauai explorations for the day. Not only will you fuel up for all the fun, but you’ll also get to savor the wonderful home-cooked flavors offered at all the top island eateries. Not quite sure where to find the best breakfast on Kauai? Here’s a look at the top 15 breakfast spots to enjoy during your visit.
The Spot
Set in Hanalei, The Spot offers all the hot and cold breakfast favorites you could want—and they’re all made with incredibly nutritious superfood ingredients. Acai and pitaya bowls offer sweet flavors galore, plus a boost of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients you need to jumpstart your day. Prefer something savory? Go with their breakfast bowls, bagels, or sandwiches. Just don’t forget to grab a coffee to go with it all.
Trucking Delicious
Trucking Delicious leveled up from their basic food truck to a full café in Hanalei, but they still serve all the foods that made them famous. Wake-Up Waffle Sandwich, GTFO Burrito, and Breakfast Paninis are just a few of their most popular brekkie items. A chance to enjoy all the best ocean flavors awaits, too. You just have to order their Fisherman’s Breakfast for a taste of their house-smoked ono spread on an everything bagel with all the fixings.
Holey Grail Donuts
Whenever you’re looking for a super sweet yet nutritious start to the day, go to Holey Grail Donuts in Hanalei. Their dough starts with taro root, putting a unique spin on a tried-and-true breakfast formula. Using that dough, they create all the best donut flavors, including OG Glazed, Strawberry Fields, and Island Chocolate. Their flavors change weekly, too, keeping you guessing what you’ll find when you arrive.
Java Kai
No matter where you turn, you’re bound to find Java Kai awaiting your arrival. Set all across Kauai, these coffee shops proudly serve freshly brewed coffee, including their ever-popular flavored lattes. If that’s not your jam, they also have fresh juice, smoothies, tea, and hot chocolate. Breakfast favorites are also on tap, like egg sandwiches, granola bowls, and waffles.
Imua Coffee Roasters
As you cruise through Kapaa, don’t miss the chance to stop by Imua Coffee Roasters. At this innovative coffee shop, they serve their fresh roasted beans in every way imaginable, including using an immersion dripper. They have all the alternative milk products available, too, including soy, mac nut, oat, and almond. If you’d like a bite to eat with your drink, pick up a croissant, muffin, or sticky bun.
Kountry Kitchen
Is a home-cooked breakfast calling your name? If so, jet on over to Kountry Kitchen in Kapaa to get your fill of all the fan favorites. You’re welcome to start your meal with a coffee made using beans from Kauai Roastery. Then, you can sip in style while looking over the huge menu featuring omelets, pancakes, benedicts, steak and eggs, and so much more. Can’t decide between it all? Use their ala carte menu to round out your meal.
Aloha Liege Waffles
If you want to experience waffles in a whole new way, Aloha Liege Waffles is the place to go in Lihue. Their waffles start with their housemade yeast-risen dough that’s put in the waffle iron until golden brown. You can get yours plain, of course, but the real magic lies in going all out with their decadent toppings. Fresh-cut strawberries, island pineapple, Belgian chocolate, coconut chips, and more go over the top to build a one-of-a-kind creation you’re sure to love.
Midnight Bear Breads
Midnight Bear Breads serves as the go-to artisan bakery in Hanapepe, creating everything from dinner rolls to pastries. They use all their baked goods to the fullest in creating their breakfast fare, so you get hearty yet decadent flavors in every bite. You can keep it simple by grabbing a cinnamon roll, muffin, or pastry. Or go all out by getting a hot meal made to order, like their Smoked Salmon open-faced sandwich.
Kalaheo Cafe & Coffee Company
Located amongst all the coffee plantations in the mountainous upcountry, Kalaheo Café & Coffee Company offers a full breakfast spread to all who walk through the doors. You can start your meal with Mimosas, Bloody Marys, and the like—or stick with coffee made how you like it. When it comes to food, the sky is the limit to what you can get. Scrambled egg sandwiches, omelets, griddle favorites, and so much more are all up for grabs.
Aake’s Juice Bar
A trip to Aake’s Juice Bar is the right move when you want to grab a light breakfast before enjoying your island adventures. Set in the Kukuiula Grocery Market, this popular stand offers all the fresh-pressed juices you could ever want. They’re happy to make your drink into a smoothie, too, if you’d like. And you can get a handmade acai bowl covered in all your preferred toppings for a little extra energy and nutrients.
Russell’s by Eat Healthy
Russell’s by Eat Healthy put their all into perfecting the plant-based dining experience. At their Kapaa eatery, they only use the highest quality local, organic ingredients to create each vegetarian dish. They can even make your meal gluten-free or 100% vegan upon request. When you come through the doors, expect to enjoy all the best flavors in their burritos, pancakes, sandwiches, and other popular menu items.
Little Fish Coffee
While traveling through Poipu, put Little Fish Coffee on your itinerary, for sure. This cute coffee shop has all the best buzzworthy drinks available, including their Midnight Marauder with four shots of espresso and the sugar to match. Prefer a fruity sensation instead? Kick your day into high gear with their smoothies. Breakfast bowls and bagels round out their offerings, letting you fill up on pure deliciousness in an instant.
Anuenue Café
Located in the heart of Poipu, Anuenue Café focuses on creating hearty breakfast fare from scratch each day. They close their doors by noon, so you must stop by early to enjoy a sit-down meal to remember. If you scoot in right before the buzzer, you’re welcome to grab takeout for the road. No matter when you come by, you can order French toast, sandwiches, and all the other popular morning foods you have in mind.
Hanalei Bread
At Hanalei Bread, every day starts with the preparation of their scratch-made baked goods, like bread, pastries, and mac nut rolls. You can come by to grab all the baked goods you’d like to nosh on or stick around for a hot meal. On their morning menu, they have top-notch eats, like Avocado Toast, Brekkie Sandwich, and Waffles & Strawberries. If you’d like to kickstart your adventures, don’t overlook their hot, cold, and blended coffee drinks as well.
Passion Bakery Cafe
Passion Bakery Café offers pure decadence in every bite, allowing you to savor the best island flavors before jetting off for fun in the sun. Their Mac Nut Sticky Buns are the star of the show, for sure, but they also have breakfast sandwiches, pastries, and many other tasty items. For a truly unique take on breakfast, try their Croiscone, an interesting creation that’s one part croissant, one part scone.
Every last one of these 15 breakfast spots on Kauai is well worth visiting. So, you cannot go wrong no matter which ones you choose. Just pick one at random or go with your gut on what sounds the best each morning. You’ll end up with the tastiest fare in front of you, helping you get energized for the fun day ahead.
