The Best Vegan Food in Kauai

I went to Kauai for the first time a few weeks ago and beyond the incomparable natural beauty that this island offers, I was completely blown away by the food; so I had to put together a list of the best vegan food in Kauai to share with you all.

I stayed on the north shore of the island and spent most of my time in Hanalei, so the majority of the restaurants below are in those areas. The town of Hanalei – in addition to being incredibly charming – has some truly fantastic eateries, from juice stands, to Asian fusion, to Mexican, to shave ice, to health food, there is so much amazing food to experience packed into this adorable tropical village.

This list of the best vegan food in Kauai includes fantastic picnic food to bring in your beach bag or for a boat trip on the stunning Na Pali Coast, restaurants perfect for a casual bite in town, a couple of classic farm stands off the side of the road, or a luxe meal on the Hanalei Bay – as well as amazing desserts, juices, and more!

Let’s get into the best vegan food that Kauai has to offer.

The Best Vegan Food in Kauai – Ranked

The Best Vegan Food in Kauai

1. Nourish Hanalei

Nourish is a so much more than a farm stand – it’s pure magic, and easily takes the #1 spot on my list of the best vegan food in Kauai. It’s one thing that Nourish is nestled among mango trees and has an expansive, breathtaking view overlooking the Hanalei Valley; but the quality, care, and taste of the food is truly unparalleled. The farm stand was started by three sisters native to the island, and uses locally-sourced ingredients from the island’s farmers. Most of the food is plant-based, and nearly everything can be made vegan. They make incredible savory bowls, acai bowls, salads, wraps, refreshing drinks and desserts – I would have eaten here for every meal if I could!

Before heading to the 1 Hotel beach for the day, I grabbed their kale caesar, which was topped with the most divine cashew-based dressing and crunchy croutons, along with their hibiscus iced tea. Divine!

2. Holey Grail Donuts

Taro. Donuts. Say it with me! Taro! Donuts!!

Holey Grail is not your average donut shop. The business was born on Kauai, and uses Hawaiian-sourced taro as the base of their dough, which is fried in organic, sustainably-sourced coconut oil. Bonus: every donut is made fresh to order and served in fully compostable packaging, and is 100% plant-based and gluten-free! Now, for their flavors. You can’t go wrong with their standard glazed, The Original Sin, but I love that they also have super creative flavors on rotation weekly – I also tried a special that was on offer, the Strawberry Shortcake, and it was perfection.

3. Thai Elephant

There’s a sweet assortment of food trucks right in downtown Hanalei, which I stumbled upon late afternoon after hiking along the Na Pali coast. I was famished after the punishing, but truly beautiful trek; and even though it was about 4:30 p.m. I was entirely ready for dinner once I got back into town. So I walked up to Thai Elephant and ordered their vegan pad thai and mango sticky rice, expecting a standard Thai meal – it was anything but. I kid you not, this was the best pad thai I’ve ever tried. It was a bit more garlicky than most – not in an overpowering way, the extra garlic was indeed a very good addition – but the flavors were just out of control. I wolfed it down, followed by the mango sticky rice (the mangos were also SO sweet and perfect because, well, it’s Hawaii). Highly recommend this spot, it’s unassuming but you’re in for a fantastic meal.

4. Hanalei Market

I was in Kauai for six days. I visited Hanalei Market six times. You do the math.

Hanalei Market is gourmet health-food store that felt something like a Hawaiian Erewhon – if you’re from LA, you’ll get what I mean. But I went there my first day to stock up on essentials for my AirBnb (dairy-free barista oat milk, granola, yogurt, leave-in hair conditioner because I forgot mine, floss for the same reason), and found myself paroosing the aisles for far too long because, well, I wanted one of everything. They have tons of artisanal and specialty snacks, amazing vegan brands, fantastic grab-and-go salads that were perfect for beach eating, and a great daily assortment of desserts (I snagged a vegan German chocolate cake after dinner one night and it was transformative). They also have a cute coffee shop at the back of the joint, as well as an assortment of locally-sourced items in the front that make for great gifts.

5. Federico’s

I have to give a huge shoutout to Federico’s, a casual Mexican spot in downtown Hanalei with a separate vegan menu (good lookin’ out, Federico’s)! Their plant-based offerings include veggie enchiladas, veggie tostadas, blackened mushroom tacos, and a grilled veggie burrito – I opted for the latter, and it was a delicious monster of a burrito. The ingredients were fresh, flavorful, and very satisfying for a gal like me who’s very discerning when it comes to Mexican food.

6. Hanalei Bread Co.

Hanalei Bread Co. is a coveted local bakery serving up incredible coffee, fresh baked bread, decadent pastries, and more. The owners also operate a small organic farm, where they source all of their produce – so you know you’re getting incredibly fresh, high-quality food from this place. Hanalei Bread has an assortment of vegan offerings, including an expansive smoothie menu, various toasts, granola and/or acai bowls, veggie panini (sans mozz, I don’t believe they have vegan cheese), and a rotation of plant-based pastries.

7. Ama

Ama is a fantastic Asian fusion restaurant in downtown Hanalei, and the moment you step into the restaurant you feel transported into a tropical jungle – so I just had to include them on this list of the the best vegan food in Kauai. They’re not fully vegan but have a handful of excellent veg options like green papaya salad, Burmese salad (pictured), nuoc cham brussels, green curry vegetable ramen (this is a fan favorite) or a green curry bowl.

8. 1 Kitchen

This stunning restaurant is located at the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay, and I highly recommend visiting this property at least once while you’re on the North Shore (pro tip: if you can’t swing the steep room rates, you can still enjoy the hotel’s amazing strip of beach – they also have vegan pina coladas on deck)! But the 1 Hotel Kitchen is also a must-visit – they are self-described as focused on “plant-forward, hyper-local and sustainably sourced cuisines from the island.” Their menu is constantly rotating based on seasonality, but I went there for dinner on my last night and had their spicy roasted carrot dip and pita (SO good) and squash and pistachio risotto.

9. Aloha Juice Bar

This is a perfect little juice stand in downtown Hanalei for all your acai bowl, juice, and smoothie needs. I had an incredible acai bowl from here on a particularly humid day, and it really hit the spot.

10. Trilogy Coffee

This place has, yes, incredible coffee – but their raw, vegan desserts are what I was most excited about. I opted for their key lime pie and it was splendid. They also have an incredible chocolate selection!

11. Kauai Juice Co.

This place is a health-food lover’s paradise. They have every type of fresh, cold-pressed juice you can imagine, plus a wide assortment of incredible snacks, gifts, and even homemade hot sauces.

11. Wishing Well Shave Ice

Is there anything better than grabbing a shave ice after a day at the beach? This charming little shack is in downtown Hanalei, and is quintessential Hawaii – they have a lot with a coffee shop, sustainable apparel store, and this shave ice truck with incredible flavors (with vegan options). I went for the mango, passion fruit, and coconut cream option and it was so refreshing.

Farmer’s Markets on the North Shore of Kaui

Hanalei Farmer’s Market

Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

I got an amazing fresh coconut at this farmer’s market (which they’ll chop in half for you after you drink the water so you can eat the amazing, buttery coconut meat), plus fresh papaya and guava. I grabbed a beautiful necklace from a local jewelry maker, as well!

Princeville Farmer’s Market

Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Waipa Farmer’s Market

Tuesdays from 2:00 p.m. – dusk

Didn’t Make it, But Bookmarked for my Next Kauai Visit!

Postcards

Fresh Bite Farm to Beach

Living Foods (Poipu)

Leahi Health

Did I Miss Any of The Best Vegan Food in Kauai?

Drop a reply in the comments below if I’ve missed one of your top picks.

In the meantime, be sure to check out some of my other lists of the best vegan food in the world – from Paris, to London, to LA, to Monterey, to Sonoma County, to Santa Barbara, Chicago!

The Best Vegan Food in Kauai

The Best Vegan Food in Kauai – Ranked