If we had not had so many awful dining experiences on Kauai I would probably give this place 3 stars. It bumps up to 4 because we all enjoyed our food and the "special" drinks they made were quite good. The down side is that drinks seemed to take 30 minutes to get to the table from the time you ordered. I had Eggplant Parm with meat sauce pasta. The meat sauce was pretty heavy on the fennel. I liked it, but I can imagine some folks might find it overwhelming. The eggplant was nicely fried and the batter stayed on. I just think of it as more cheesy than what I got here. Seeing as how I was on beach/bathing suit vacation the omission of the extra cheese was not the end of the world. My hubby got spaghetti and meatballs and was happy with 3 meatballs. Step daughter had Greek Pasta, and she ate the whole plate. I do think it would be better with either a linguini or an angel hair pasta. Nothing really sticks to spaghetti. We did not ask to substitute pastas and the option was never offered. Kids had kid pizza and buttered noodles. They cleaned their plates. We had Spinach Artichoke Appetizer. It was heavy on the cheese and light on the spinach and came with what tasted like pizza dough bread sticks. They were nice and chewy and held up well to the dip. It was a bit mundane but tasty all the same. We tried their coconut mojito thing and a rosemary margarita. Both were interesting, not too sweet and very well done. They were by far the best "house special" drinks we had on our trip. We would definitely eat here again.
(4)
Anand S.
Not too good for Vegetarians. We tried 2 different dishes (Eggplant Parmesan) and Pesto Pasta, both were blend. And pasta's were little bit raw.
(2)
F N.
The only normal food we could find on the whole island of Kauai. Mediocre at best. Service also is mediocre and so is the ambience.
(3)
Ali M.
What great service! Ordered their special - filet mignon with mushroom risotto. When the steak arrived cold the second time, they realized the sous vide followed by refrigeration method would never produce medium rare to my satisfaction, so I got offered a ribeye substitute. Made this ribeye lover happy! Everyone else in our party of 6 was happy with their dishes.
(4)
La E.
Used to enjoy eating at Kauai Pasta during my high school days, and got excited when they started having lunch specials for the past couple years. However, on my last visit there this month with my family, I experienced a severe stomach ache after eating the pesto, which lasted for a couple of hours and frequent trips to the toilet. I was the only one who ate the pesto, while everyone else had meat sauce pastas or paninis, so it may just be that they need to change their mac nut pesto recipe. My aunty had also said she could not stop throwing up after her last experience eating the pesto pasta, which was about a week before we had gone to Kauai Pasta. For the health and safety of your customers, please do something about the cream sauce recipes. Everything else, and service was excellent.
(2)
Joe N.
I am giving one star because the server was great! With that said the food is terrible!! I read the other reviews and thought it was worth a try... I'm guessing this is the only Italian food on the island if people think this is the best... My meal was Swimming in oil so bad I couldn't finish. The appetizer was ok... My girlfriend said the only highlight were the shrimp, the rest of it was tasteless... Maybe it's was an off night for the cooking staff... Maybe you will have better luck than we did... TO MAKE IT WORSE WE BOTH R SICK!! "Pepto" is recommended after your meal if you dare to try their Pesto!!
(1)
Ian H.
After a couple of bad experiences at local restaurants we were starving and decided to hit this little spot next to a Taco Bell in Kapaa. So glad we did! We arrived after the lunch crowd with a couple hungry teenagers and a three-year old, and the staff welcomed us and took us to a larger table in the front of the restaurant. The artwork is simple but beautiful and the whole place was very clean. The lunch special is a "you pick two" for $10, and there are a lot of options to choose from. The truffle fries are not to be missed and all their panini sandwiches are great. I had the crab cakes and a warm goat cheese w/arugula salad; all excellent! They make all their sauces and my son gave two thumbs up to the caesar salad and fettucine alfredo. This may be a four-star somewhere else but for my family looking for some good food after a couple disappointments it was amazing. We will definitely make the trip up here next time we're in Kauai.
(5)
cindy b.
Food is usually very good. We went there last week for the rib eye. I asked for it to be cooked medium, but came out very rare? Ok, I got a Coffee with no whip, but it came with whip cream? The meal cost us $115.00 for two people. If we're going to pay this money, they need to get it right? So, I probably won't go often anymore. The food is good. My husbands Greek pasta had zero flavor? He liked it, but said, "next time he will have the pesto pasta. It has more flavor." Sometimes the food is on it, and sometimes it's ok? But it is usually a good choice?
(3)
Vanessa Miracle B.
Pesto pasta's deliciouuuus + the calamari (:
(4)
Nina B.
We came here as tourists, but made sure we came back once we moved to Kauai. Pizza is fresh and thin crust and better than Costco according to my hubby. I enjoyed the pasta in meat sauce, tasty and filling. Bread with butter was served. I started with a side Ceasar salad, homemade dressing and fresh Romaine. The go to place for Italian on Kauai.
(4)
Joanna R.
Not impressed. I tried the shrimp alfredo and the shrimp (1 star)was slightly overcooked and underseasoned. The alfredo sauce was up to par but not worth bragging about. (3 stars)I had a side of marinara meat sauce and it was nothing special (2 stars) ..the calamari on the other hand was 4.5 stars. It was great!
(3)
Anne S.
Kauai pasta rocks! We loved the truffle Parmesan fries and the house dipping sauces. The gluten free pizza crust was delicious. I had the prosciutto fig pizza. Amazing. Everyone was happy with their food. Service was great, too.
(5)
Mussaab H.
Didn't think I'd be going to this place at all on my visit let alone going twice. But twice I went and both times I enjoyed. Their menu isn't extensive but everything on there is delicious. They are open late and we're perfect for our first spot after our long flight. The staff is really nice and really take care of tourists. Their sauces were solid and their pasta didn't leave me wanting. Their truffle fries with the 4 sauces didn't spiced things up. When I go back to kauai you better believe this place will be on my list.
(4)
Marsh M.
On an tourism driven island full of high priced schtick and run by howlies, it is rare to find a genuinely excellent place that has great food and reasonable prices This place isn't a typical Kauai establishment! Try the ribeye, pesto grilled chicken with fettucini, or the butternut squash ravioli. Best Italian joint on the island!
(5)
Elizabeth M.
Cute little restaurant with good food. The service was quick and friendly as soon as we walked in. We were caught in the rain and so my husband and I snuck in here for a bit of a romantic dinner. I indulged in the butternut squash ravioli with bacon and candied pecans - DELICIOUS. I couldn't get enough. I ordered just the appetizer portion and I was glad I did otherwise I would've made myself sick by eating it all!
(4)
Sunil S.
Kids enjoyed their pasta; my Greek pasta was really tasty and the wife was impressed with their gluten free lasagna! Very friendly staff, and kids were welcomed!
(5)
Brandon S.
Great little romantic Italian restaurant, with the best juicy chicken fettuccine Alfredo I've ever had. The cheese sticks are wonderful too as a starter. Clean and service is great. Highly recommend!
(5)
rani s.
Loved the Greek pasta and the salads. Kids menu left a lot to be desired. We don't usually order off kids menus but thought we'd try, bad idea. Otherwise, great service and yummy grown up food,
(4)
angela b.
W really enjoyed the food. Basil was fresh and delicious. The meatballs were exceptional. Great service!
(5)
Anna Y.
My first visit here, I was not impressed and thought everything was overpriced. My second visit, I really like this place and want to go back soon so that I can try the calamari. This second visit, we split the truffle fries, $7, but we had some new and some old menus. Mine said $6, and others said $7. It came with 4 dipping sauces and were perfectly crisp and delicious. If not for eating with strangers, I would have finished off the plate myself. I had the eggplant parmigiana, which was HUGE. Three huge slices of eggplant and enough pasta for two. We also had the chicken parmigiana which had one piece of chicken and was well made. My only complaint is that we both had the meat sauce and the sauce had an overabundance of a certain herb that we couldn't quite figure out. It consumed the dish and was the only drawback. Service is good, definitely will return. Parking is awful though, the lot is a dead end so be careful when backing up.
(4)
Scott B.
If this were Orange County, this would be a 3 star, but in Kauai, you have to be lenient. You can pay $100 a head and have a 5 star meal, but after that, it is usually slim pickings. We were told about this place, yelped it, and thought, why not? We chose the Kapa'a version, just to get away from Lihue, and to take a look at the town. The location is literally next to a Taco Bell, and the interior modest at best, but the food does shine. We had crab cakes (good, not great), bruschetta (very good) spaghetti and balls, steak, chicken pesto (excellent) and a well priced wine. Wanted the fried calamari, but the fryer was broken and it was taking 2 weeks to find a replacement (welcome to Kauai). Less the wine less than $180 for a large group of 5...compared to the hotel still about 20% less for comparable quality. On a side note, we asked about the nice looking resort across from the restaurant, the Waipouli Resort, and every server, said the same thing, that it was "haunted" because it was built on an ancient cemetery. We had to go and ask, and the lady at the lobby said, "every hotel on this island is built on some ancient Hawaii'n bones"...excellent retort.
(4)
John R.
Visited the Kapaa location Friday May 23. 2014. We were worried about getting a table without a reservation. No worries there, as only one other table was occupied at 5:30 pm. Food was very good, but do not believe the management reply that soon they will be serving bread before the meal, like most Italian restaurants. We received three tiny pieces WITH the meal.
(4)
D L.
So Kauai Pasta KAPAA wants to know what their hostesses do that is "terrible?" My complaint was stated clearly in my first review - unless you don't think it's terrible for a customer to call for takeout, be asked to hold for a couple of minutes before they can take your order, be forgotten about on hold for FIFTEEN MINUTES and then when I hang up and try to call back because I've obviously been forgotten about (and can't waste my cell minutes while your staff gabs at each other) the phone is left off the hook for the next 30 minutes. Again, this last time was at 5pm and I know your phone isn't ringing crazy enough to prevent me from getting through on speed dial. And this isn't the first time I've been forgotten about on hold. And being forgotten about on hold has nothing to do with not being able to get through because you're having phone problems. This is a "user" error. I won't go into other terrible practices by your hostesses because it looks like they're pretty well covered in other people's reviews here on Yelp. It's obvious your (non-wait)staff needs some schooling in professionalism and customer service. Badly. (And as someone else mentioned, if you're in the mood for the food but not the crappy service and don't mind driving a little further to Lihue, try the Kauai Pasta there (near Hilo Hattie's) - never had problems with them like I have at the Kapaa one)
(2)
Sundee C.
I loved the lunch special! The server was easy to talk to, as we got creative with our sauces:) The brown rice pasta was tender and delicious. High quality salad greens. The sausage was spiced just right and we even had fresh basil growing at our table.
(5)
Cody K.
Truffle fries are awesome, spinach and caprese salads are also really good. Staff was nice and restaurant was clean.
I used to LOVE this place, back when it was smaller and the husband/wife team ran the joint. The food was fresh, hot, and hit the mark ( the best pesto ever!) The service was equally as wonderful and attentive. But this is a thing of the past. We just ate there tonight and the server seemed bothered by us. When she took our order, she would just stare off toward the door like a puppy just wanting to run. It was the strangest thing... Hello? I'm right here!! Maybe I should have taken the hint and ran myself. Calamari: always excellent when crispy. The sauce is excellent as well. Salad: the salad had half a super thin tomato slice (not a tomato, but a slice), 3 cucumber slices, and 6 carrot shreds @ $7.95. The vinaigrette was an oily mess. Horrible. This USED to be my favorite salad, back when it wasn't just a mound of lettuce! Eggplant Parmesan: the WORST eggplant Parmesan we have ever tasted. Absolutely horrible. Alfredo with added chicken breast: the Alfredo was super rich, thick, and sticky. It was off the mark. The chicken breast was juicy & excellent however. The service: honestly, a joke. I asked for balsamic on the side and was served with balsamic dressing on it. Sent it back and asked for dry with plain balsamic on the side. When I received the new salad, I poured the balsamic on it only to find out it had oil in it again. i gave up and I didn't eat the salad. Never an offer of Parmesan, no asking if the new salad was ok, never checking back with us....Nothing. Well, she did ask where we're we're visiting from when she dropped my salad off. I guess that was a half hearted attempt of being friendly. Truthfully, she clearly did not care at all. I'd like to think it was an off night, but the last few times we have eaten there we have been disappointed. It's a shame, because as I stated before, we used to love this place and eat here all the time. If I had to chose, I'd go to the Lihue location. Smaller, but much more attentive and professional service and the food was much better ( the sampler appetizer is excellent, but they don't have the calamari or small pizzas).
(3)
Elaine B.
We go to Kauai every year to visit family. Usually by the 3rd day of having local food (mainly rice dishes and saimin) I'll start craving for a good salad! The only option in the past was to go to some fancy hotel restaurants and order some outrageously expensive salads. Not anymore! When we visited this last time, my husband's friend recommended this place. We were hesitant to try it at first because seriously, Italian food on Kauai?! Well, what a nice surprise. The salads are fresh and flavorful, the pasta sauce was tasty, and the selections were pretty good. Combine all of that with a good price tag. I'll be back for sure!!!
(4)
Emilee J.
After spending 2 weeks on the islands Kauai Pasta was a welcome change from grilled fish (although they do have that one the menu). We had the baked mozzarella, the clams and the fettucine with shrimp. The plan to "take some home" backfired big time because everything was delicious and the drinks were GREAT! Their spin on a dirty martini was is a must!
(5)
Nick K.
I loved this place. Food was good. Went for lunch. Had an amazing waitress that told me all yhe nice places to go in kauai. Deffinently recommend
(5)
Alyssa E.
Worst meal we had in Kauai. Service was terrible and the food overpriced. Atmosphere was weird and the decor off putting. I was expecting more since the reviews were so good. No one bothered to help us for a good 5 minutes when we entered, even though it didn't look super busy. A waiter looked at us, but didn't even say that the hostess would be over soon. When she did help us, she said the kitchen was behind and that it would be about 15 minutes, which was fine. She directed us to wait at the bar for a table. The bar was through the main room and then another weird middle room. Horrible horrible decor. It looked like a bunch of college guys' idea of a cool basement bar - awkward black leather couch and strange lighting. The bartender was slow and seemed unsure, but they had Blue Moon so that was good. After about 20 minutes, the hostess appeared. We made eye contact because I thought she was going to seat us, but then she walked away. She came back a second later and said, didn't we know we could eat at the bar? She thought that's what she told us to do since it was a wait for the table. Um okay no you didn't say that, but fine, to get served faster, we would eat here. We sat down at one of two unset tables. A waiter proceeded to set the table next to us with glasses and silverware but ignored us. After what seemed like forever, a waitress came over to ask if we needed menus. Uh yeah. Only then was the table set. We each ordered the prosciutto pizza and the calamari to share. The calamari was pretty good - too much batter, but the sauce and salad were nice. Then the waitress brought just one pizza. She didn't understand when I ordered "we'll each have the pizza" and thought we were sharing. Sigh. Instead of apologizing, she said that she could put in an order for the second pizza but it would take 20 minutes. We opted just to share. It was okay, but kinda salty. Could have used mozzarella instead of Parmesan. Also, the prosciutto was more like salty bacon than what you normally get on a prosciutto pizza. We were still hungry but didn't want to waste anymore time so we left and ordered another pizza at our hotel, which was much better and we didn't have to wait as long. Plus parking in the lot is a bitch.
(2)
Malcolm M.
AMAZING...absolutely delicious. I'm not sure how to tell all the Yelp Family how truly fantastic this place is. House pasta Clam Linguine Pesto Bruschetta Simple, fresh, and delicious. Please open in Las Vegas sooooon!!!
If you are a fan of excellent and gourmet italian food this is the place to go. While we were visiting the island we came a couple of times; it's even great for children. I would recommend the house pasta and the eggplant parmesan. Dishes are big so you can share or come really hungry!!! If we ever come back to Kauai, this is the first restaurant we would visit.
(5)
Miss J.
AWESOME Italian food! The caprese pasta and spaghetti and meatballs were so good. Our waiter was very attentive and helpful and their balsamic vinegar is so sweet and syrupy it's amazing! Will definitely go back!
(5)
Lolita C.
We waited all day to have pasta at the 'famous' Kauai Pasta. We read about it in The Best Od Kauai publication. It received great reviews. After a short, expected wait, we were promptly seated almost in the kitchen. I know, someone had to sit there. Avery nice server came over after 5 or so minutes to explain the menu. 10 minutes later she came and took our orders. After asking 3 times ( yes 3!), we finally received a coke on the table 20 ( yes 20!) minutes later. All the while, we watched what seemed to be a local couple and child receive their entire dinner even though they were seated 5 minutes after we were. So, here we sit. Waiting. And waiting. The other table is half way through their dinner and on their 2nd glass of wine. I pray the food is so amazing that they will still deserve the 4 stars I was hoping for and that we are paying for....... Well dinner came. I'm sorry to say that it was not worth the wait. I'm frustrated because everyone around us had amazing looking dinners. Our pasta was extremely under cooked. It was cold and chewy. The Alfredo sauce was ok but nothing to brag about. The meatballs scared us. The shrimp with mine were tasty but a bit cold. We tried so hard to like our dinner. It was just not possible. My husband didn't want to say anything. His solution was to ignore it. However, when the server came check on things, he couldn't hold it in. I told her I could not understand how we waited 40 minutes to get our food served cold. It just doesn't make sense. The manager came and apologized profusely and gave us desert. Quite frankly that didn't make up for everything else. We just wanted to have good, hot food. Not too much to ask for. I would give a 1 star but the fact that the manager actually tried to fix it and seemed to care earned them another star.
(2)
Belle N.
11/11/11 Pretty interesting location...looks like they kept expanding...and admittedly pretty good italian food! We headed there for lunch and though it seemed pretty quiet...folks started pouring in! Their lunch special was amazing
(4)
Kelly B.
This place is excellent. The bar area is cozy, the restaurant is clean and open. The food is delicious and the service is amazing. New chef specials every day! Highly recommend if you are in the area!
After an awesome experience at the Kauai Pasta in Lihue, we were hoping for an equally one here and were not disappointed. Appetizer - Baked Mozzarella: This is not the same as moz. sticks, but is an actual sheet of mozzarella on a bed of marinara sauce with bread for dipping. The taste is amazing, although the plate is a bit over priced at $10. Entree - Parmesan Chicken: Cooked perfectly with an outstanding marinara sauce. Try alfredo on the accompanying pasta for a nice combo. Entree - Parmesan Eggplant: Awesome flavor and texture. Tried the pesto sauce and was slightly less impressed. Stick with the alfredo for a perfect meal. If in doubt of where to go for a nice (but not exactly cheap) meal, this is never a bad option; although don't be surprised by the number of diners in swim wear. They do keep the lights dim and the mood romantic.
(4)
Heidi M.
I know, I know...eating a big Italian dinner on Kauai sounds a bit sacrilegious, but after a week on the island and eating mediocre food, we were looking for a good, satisfying meal. After reading reviews on Yelp, I made a reservation on OpenTable and an hour later, we arrived at the location of my best meal on the island! Although we had a reservation, we still had to wait about 10 minutes for our table. Slightly annoying, but hmmm, if the house was packed, this must be a good sign!!! Once seated, service was friendly and prompt. (Though another annoyance, the hostess forgot to mark us as checked-in in the OpenTable system, so a few days later I had explain to OpenTable that we did, in fact, honor our reservation. Oh well.) I will give the hostess props for recommending the calamari because it was AWESOME! not greasy and drizzled with a delicious soy-lemon aioli. For my entree, I had the Chicken Parmesan with a side of pesto pasta. Generous portion and everything tasted super-fresh and delicious. I also got a slice of tiramisu cheesecake to go. It was good, but the calamari and chicken parmesan are what really stood out. Kauai Pasta was such a wonderful and welcome change from all the cheesy tourist traps with lava rock/waterfall ambience and crappy food. Highly recommend!
(4)
Kristen C.
Best food we had all trip! AMAZING truffle fries and brie Mac and cheese! Reasonably priced. Will definitely refer friends and come back!
(5)
Allison B.
+good food +huge portions (Italian-style :) ) +anything off the chef's specials menu is going to be delicious +very attentive wait staff--water glasses were never below half full -salads were good, but nothing special -quality food, so quality prices, but
(4)
Bob V.
As good as it gets for Italian on Kauai for sure, generally I come here on every trip to Kauai 1-2x per week. Love the house pasta, veggies and salads. Someone does need to teach the chef/cooks about Parmigiana thou, sprinkling a little parmesan, pre-grated from a plastic bottle, just doesn't cut it over the chicken or eggplant. Next time I come in I'll bring my own mozzarella and ask them to add it. AS it should be! Except for that miscue, I really like the food and ambiance and plan to have the psto chicken tonight.
(5)
Holly R.
Adam was an awesome server! The food to die for yummy! Caesar salad the best I've had! We will make a second visit before we go home!
(5)
Aida T.
Best hearty meal in the island, great lunch special. Friendly staff. The House pasta, pesto, and their parmesan truffle fries. Avoid the ravioli they are more like dumplings, nice twist but if you grew up with homemade ravioli you might be disappointed.
(5)
Pete P.
If you're getting tired of "island cuisine," Kauai Pasta is a good find. The food was very good to excellent. Wife had the spinach salad and the bruschetta. I had the chicken Parmesan, which comes with a choice of pasta sides. I had the meat sauce on spaghetti. Pasta was perfectly al dente and the meat sauce was thoughtfully done; nice Italian favors. The chicken was also excellent & fork-tender. A couple of minor complaints. They need to figure out a way to keep their red wines just a little cooler. Not cold, just not Kauai "room temp." I asked for a second glass of wine just after our entrees arrived and ended up canceling that after waiting until I was nearly done eating. And their front (nicer) dining room was a little too dark. These would have been enough to knock off a star on the mainland, but still a solid 4stars here on Kauai.
(4)
Liz M.
Perfect! Everything that we read on yelp that was negative was not true. They had plenty of servers (excellent service), it was clean, excellence ambiance, and the portions were perfect! We will definitely be back here next time we are in kauai.
(5)
aaron b.
This place is interesting. Up front is a seemingly nice dimly lit romantic Italian restaurant. In the back is a fluorescent cheesy "olive garden" looking area where the throw all the tourists, families, trashy locals, and apparently obese people. I totally understand this necessity in running a restaurant in a tourist town, it's just interesting to note that you may have 1 of 2 totally different atmospheres. The service must match your assigned "class" as well. The food was all great though (must only be 1 kitchen! ). We got the butternut squash ravioli (superb!) and a Caesar salad (very good). Also got the pineapple upside down cake cocktail (novelty drink. not really worth it).
(3)
Jay C.
Yummy food, great prices, very friendly service! Check out the two-for $10 lunch special at the Kapaa location! Great variety of options, and consistently good in every way. Went here several times (both locations) during our trip to Kauai.
(5)
Michelle F.
I was in Kauai for a week and was REALLY craving pasta so my boyfriend and I decided to give this place a try. We walked in and the restaurant was relatively empty. There was one couple in front of us at the hostess stand, presumably looking at a menu. We stood there for over ten minutes and not one employee even looked in our direction.. I can understand if the restaurant was busy, and someone said hello and that they'd be right with us, but we were treated as if we were invisible. Needless to say we didn't stay where we were obviously not wanted,
(2)
Harlan S.
This may be one of the finest restaurants that Kauai has to offer. Good decor, succulent menu and savvy wait staff. Every course was stimulating and flavorful. The asparagus with cheese is excellent. The only thing holding this place back from perfection is that their specialty cocktails suck so bad you could clear blocked drain lines with them.
(4)
Ambreesh K.
Yup was not expecting to go eat Italian in Kauai - c'mon, I'm from Joisey, we know our Eyetalian. But it had been a really really long day, lots of sun, water and other stuff. A local recommended this place, not too far from where we were hanging. Getting parking here was tough, the lot was full. Which btw was our story for all of our trip to Honolulu, Big Island and Kauai, but I digress. After parking, and being told that there was a 30 min wait, I sauntered into the back and found a bar and lounge with open tables. First come, first served and we plonked ourselves there. The menu was the same as the restaurant, so we started with the spinach and artichoke appetizer, which got us going, it was very good and bubbling hot. For mains, we got pastas, which I was wary about however I am a fan of pesto, thought I'd try it. I was famished and the wine was good - Primus 'The Blend' Veramonte from Chile, how bad could it really be? I was surprised - the pasta was not over cooked, and the pesto was very flavorful. My wife got the Greek pasta which she loved. The older one got a Chicken Parmesan with Pasta Alfredo, which looked good and she inhaled the lot. The younger one consumed a pasta dish with marinara, loved it. Oh and we got an order of the truffle Parmesan fries, nice and crispy fries, perfectly washed with truffle and Parmesan! It was a great meal, the setting in the lounge was good, the outside restaurant looked a bit industrial, so happy that we ended up in the lounge.
(4)
Paul P.
Inconsistencies, Eaten there before a lot we live here Lunch special was skimpy and my Panini was microwaved you know when the bread it's hard around the corners just not good . We won't be coming back I working the neighborhood I tell everybody to go there but no more. I can't remember having the worst lunch
(1)
Alex B.
I live on Kauai, and I eat here frequently at both locations. I have never had a bad meal at Kauai Pasta, and everything they serve is quality and delicious, from the salad to the desserts. I have to say the salads are not to be missed, and because the entree prices are reasonable, I can get a specialty salad with my dinner and still eat for less than just an entree at some of the rip-off joints on Kauai. Great job Kauai Pasta, keep up the good work!
(5)
Emm C.
Great option for lunch. They have a lunch special whereby you get a salad and pasta for $10. Loved it because I feared an overly large portion but it was just right. We took it to go and ate at Lydgate Park where the rugrat was amused by real roosters, hen, and chickadees under a covered table! The pesto was awesome. It tasted like it was fresh blended w basil, cheese, olive oil and macadamia nuts! Yum
(4)
Mark S.
We're from Ca. We read the top reviews for this restaurant.We tried it and regretted it. I had the Lasagna and my wife had the eggplant Parmesan .The meat sauce on the lasagna was way too salty and tasted burnt,the eggplant on Parmesan wasn't cooked and the sauce was salty and gritty.The garlic bread tasted like it was frozen then microwaved.Food here is really over priced,service is really good.Stay away you'll be throwing your money away. Mark S
(1)
Emily N.
I was very pleased with Kauai Pasta. I didn't like the name, and I noticed there was another branch of it in Lihue so I was worried about it being a chain, but had read a review that said it was fantastic, so we stopped in. True, the view is of a parking lot. True, the lighting is sort of unflattering and its not the ideal setting for a romantic meal. We had also just gotten soaked on a boat and I was still chilled to the bone. The temp was freezing inside, but that was my own fault. The decor inside was sort of typical family restaurant, but taking a peek in the KP Lounge out back, I was realized it was in stark contrast to what they bring out late night. I wished we'd planned ahead with nicer clothes and opted to hit the lounge instead. Resigning ourselves to a decent "family" experience, I went ahead and ordered a few mint basil mojitos to try and lighten the mood. The waitress (who was awesome by the way) gushed about them before heading into the lounge to put in the drink order. Once I tasted it, I realized we were in trouble because I wanted to order about seventeen more of them. The flavors were fantastic in the drinks, so we had high expectations for the food... and we weren't disappointed. The food was tasty, fresh, and plated beautifully. We had no complaints and even ordered a decadent chocolate dessert to finish things off. Overall, don't be turned off by the decor or the plain-jane name of this small chain, because the food is off the hook! Seriously.
(4)
Linda E.
I'm a couple months behind in writing this review, but thought it was significant enough to post at this late date. To celebrate our wonderful family vacation, my daughter-in-law wanted to treat us to a nice dinner in Kauai. We arrived at Kauai Pasta at our reserved time and were quickly seated. We were thoroughly enjoying our conversation, wine and appetizer, when a party of 12 were seated at a long table directly behind us. In no time at all, our pleasant dinner turned into a nightmare! We couldn't hear each other speak across a small table without resorting to shouting, due to the small size of the room and acoustics. We had to literally shout to the waitress that it was way too loud in the room and she agreed, but offered no help. (The decibel level reminded me of rock concerts or clubs, but you go expecting it to be loud.) About this time our dinner was served and we just couldn't continue enduring the noise level and the anxiety we feeling. We asked for our meals to be boxed and left. My heart went out to my disappointed daughter-in-law, as she certainly wasn't planning on spending $$$'s for a dinner we couldn't enjoy. However, to Kauai Pasta's credit, I have to say that the next day I microwaved my Chicken Parmesan Dinner and it was spectacular A+. This review would have been 5 stars under different circumstances. Advice: Just remember to ask if they have reservations arriving shortly for a large party, before agreeing to sit in the small room.
(2)
Kevan M.
Great, affordable italian food. The atmosphere isn't so great. You're looking out into a parking lot behind the Taco Bell. The interior is decent, there's a swanky bar area with higher-end drinks and a dining area with reasonably nice furnishings. They had a good deal running for lunch that basically gave you a list of 10-15 items. You picked 2 and that was your meal - all for $10. I got the garden salad and ham sandwich. I enjoyed both of them. My dining guests also enjoyed their food (house pasta, house salad) quite a bit. Service was friendly and accommodative. If you're sick of the typical tourist menus and prices, go here instead!
(4)
Brice P.
First with the good. The squash ravioli was fantastic and the crab cakes were good. Aside from that the service was poor. We were never given bread (minor), we spent over 40 minutes waiting for our food with no one checking in with us while there were ample server staff and the pizza my wife ordered tasted like salt + bread. The wait didn't seem to be because they were busy (people seated after us were finished by the time we were served) or because the meal was complex (ravioli, their special, and pizza). Yet no one checked in with us or explained the wait.
(2)
Rachel A.
This place was such a gem. I can't believe we found such fresh and tasty italian food in Hawaii!! the decor leaves much to be desired but our waitress was very friendly and attentive - especially since we were a last minute group of 8. The food was excellant and very affordable. I had the pesto with basil grown on the island and macademias instead of pine nuts. The best however were the squash raviolis. The apple crisp dessert is another must do.
(5)
Brett F.
Mangia! Mangia! Kauai goes Italian. Who knew that right when you're ready to make a departure from all the poi, opah and ahi you can handle, Kauai has a pretty solid Italian restaurant ready to swathe you in marinara, pesto, parmigiano and bolognese? Me! This linguine lovin' gal did, that's who. Pretty respectable experience all around at Kauai Pasta. From the friendly local service, to the expansive and mouthwatering menu, to their surprisingly swank and upscale cocktail lounge, I was impressed at first glace with what this Kapaa location had to offer. Favorite items like Eggplant Parmesan, Veal Picatta, Lasagna and Baked Ziti all jumped out at me, but it was their specials that truly turned my head. Wild Boar Ragu, Ravioli with Truffles, Spinach Fettuccine with Lobster Nage. Whoa! Who's cooking back there, Mario Batali? They clearly don't rest on their traditional kitchen laurels here... thinking outside the spaghetti and meatball box scored big points in my book. Went with the Spinach Fettuccine with Lobster Nage and an addition of fresh seared scallops. Mama Mia! It was fantastic. Creamy, abundant, satisfying and with an easily distinguishable rich lobster flavor, this was comfort food bathed in a beautiful Italiano light. Bellissima! Portions are large and easily sharable, but with dishes this well executed, who wants to go halvesies? So with all this nice praise why the 3 stars, eh? Well, simply because timing was terrible. We had a slightly larger group of 9 people and the kitchen struggled to produce items in a timely manner, fire dishes so everyone had a hot plate in front of them and also forgot a dish entirely. Oh Mio Dio! It was a bit of a mess... we sent back multiple plates to be reheated and ultimately our family dinner was one where no one in the family actually ate at the same time. Talk about a domestic fail. I would still definitely recommend for smaller parties - and for anyone who has yet to experience some truly unique Italian - but for your next group outing? Pass on this Pasta.
(3)
Bri B.
I have to go here whenever in Kauai. Must have the Spinach and Artichoke Dip! Everything I have ever ordered from here was amazing!
(5)
Nali M.
i wish they were located in kalaheo, not kapaa!! the lounge is something cool they recently added! i got to try it with a friend of mine and we sure did like it! i tried their chicken spring rolls, and they were sooooooooooooo delicious!! price is reasonable for what you get. their portions as far as pasta goes is really generous and almost too big! if you're not a big eater, bring someone to share with you! service was great-- the waiter even stayed longer than his scheduled shift to take care of us. i thought that was really nice, but unnecessary! he could have asked us to close out our tab. if you're in kapaa and want some great food--check out kauai pasta!
(5)
Dan D.
Outside is deceiving when you drive by as this was an excellent meal. Our waitress was very friendly and were seated promptly with a reservation. Ribeye was on soecial and prepared perfectly. Our table was a little cramped bext to wall and a table behind us, but would definetly return.
(4)
kevin p.
We had been on the island for 6 days before going here. Every night we tried different restaurants. Kauai Pasta blew them all away! Get the butternut squash raviolis!!!! INSANE!!!! So good
(5)
kahau m.
KP lounge....... headed for the bar. Oh! Jenna's working!!!! order a Don Alvaro tequila and a chimay or maybe a dead guy!? "So Jenna? What's on the special tonight?" items i had in the past month? sous vide pork chop....... one of the best damn porkchops i ever had. housemade sausage with strawberry hawaiian chili pepper gelee...... yes please!!! ravioli of the day is always yummy. booo yaaa!
(4)
Mike P.
My wife and I went there for lunch on a Friday when the power was out in Kapaa and the staff did a great job of managing through the outage and thankful to the customers. On top of all the distractions - the power came back on right before we entered - the food was great. We'll definitely be going back when we return to Kauai!
(5)
Harry D.
This place wants to be a classy italian place, but it's not. The food is mediocre at best and overpriced pasta, mainly. I had the Greek pesto pasta and it was undercooked, hard, and doused in cheap pesto, with 3 small pieces of rubbery bread that you'd find at Safeway for $1.99. $18, really? The chicken alfredo pasta was average, plenty portions though. Best dish was the crab cake appetizer, nice sauce and delicious. The staff seemed like they were just try to scrape by for another night of boring pasta for tourists. Lounge in the back is alright...I won't eat dinner here again
(1)
Roy H.
Didn't think of Italian when eating out on Kauai but this place was recommended to us by the concierge at our hotel so we figured we'd give it a try. It's pretty upscale and the prices are on the high side, but the food is really good. We had butternut squash ravioli as an appetizer which was really tasty. The pasta was al dente and the sauce tasted very fresh and garlicky. In a word...Yum!
(4)
Merle E.
My 9 yr old grandson says Kauai Pasta has the best Caesar's Salad and Pasta ever. I liked the unique flavor of the meatballs and the house pasta.
(4)
Adam G.
Went there for lunch and were not disappointed. Wife got pasta and a salad as a lunch special and I did a spinach salad and ham & onion panini. All were excellent, as was the price compared to other places we tried on the island. Can't say enough good things about this place...
(5)
DeeDee W.
I had the Warm goat cheese, arugula and tomato salad and added the grilled shrimp to make it a meal. Totally yum. Loved it. All so fresh and light. My husband had fettuccine Alfredo and ate too much. Must have been good too. Wait help was very friendly and attentive.
(5)
Lorene R.
We were here 6 years ago. We thought it was wonderful then! Since that time Kauai Pasta has expanded but kept their fabulous menu. Thank you for keeping it great. The portions are huge! And the service fantastic!
(4)
kevin e.
Very good Italian here in the islands. Classics and some other options. Whole fam liked.
(4)
Emily H.
Had the eggplant parm and thoroughly enjoyed it. Perfectly cooked and had nice (not bland or overpowering) taste. Waitress was super sweet.
(4)
Laurie P.
Ono! We came here on our trip to Kauai and actually had our anniversary dinner here. It had an interesting vibe, family style restaurant in the front, more formal dinning in the center, and a lounge in the back! We were greeted by the smell of delicious basil and tomato sauce, so I was definitely expecting good things. Like many places on the islands, the food is fusion to an extent. The calamari (which was perfectly battered but was a little tough, should have fried it for shorter) was delicious and dressed in a soy wasabi aoili. I really enjoyed the warm goat cheese salad, the argula was perfectly dressed in a light dressing that allowed it's peppery flavors to shine. I am usually not a fan of goat cheese, but this goat cheese was mild, soft, and delicious. The garlic bread that came on the side of the salad was so good that we ended up ordering a basket! A definite must not miss if you come to eat. I had the spicy shrimp "ramen". It was angel hair pasta, shrimp sliced in half so when they cooked they would curl up into spirals (beautiful presentation!), all in a truffle butter broth. I ordered extra shrimp and am glad I did, otherwise I think they only put 2 or 3 halved shrimps in! It was delicious, but very rich. We had the salted caramel ice cream sundae for dessert, besides Molly Moon's salted caramel in Seattle, this is the best salted caramel ice cream I have ever had. Sweet, but not cloying, it was perfect. I could have done with a chocolate sauce instead of chocolate chips, but that is because I don't like the consistency of chocolate chips; too crunchy. All in all, the best meal we had while on Kauai.
(4)
Dan J.
Starving after midnight when most of the restaurants are closed? Trying to avoid late night fast food restaurants? Well, I lucked out at Kauai Pasta as the Chef was still there excited to cook for you his Loco Moco. A bit pricey but the steak was tender, tasty and worth every penny.
(5)
Alicia V.
My boyfriend and I enjoyed our meal here. Four stars for the food! We had the ravioli special appetizer. It was an Asian-inspired ravioli. The pasta was very fresh. It's been a long time since I've had fresh pasta and it was a real treat. We shared a bottle of pinot noir (can't go wrong there!) and a ribeye steak. The steak was cooked perfectly medium-rare and was served in a delicious mushroom demi glaze. It was accompanied by a Gorgonzola mac and cheese that was sinfully good and some fresh asparagus. For dessert we had the banana bread pudding. I literally could not eat any because I was so full. The portions here are large! My boyfriend enjoyed it though. I do have to say that I was disappointed in the coffee. It was like coffee flavored water. The reason I'm giving this place 2 stars is because of the service. First off, the waitress was hard pressed to answer questions when we asked for her to recommend things. I don't think that people should be servers if they aren't well versed in the menu. Next, right before dessert came the busboy dropped a bottle of Windex when cleaning the table behind me. Its top came off in the process and the bottle hit the floor. It splashed all up and down my back (and my new dress) and into my purse, which was on the floor. The busboy did rush over to pickup my purse and wipe it down. He apologized once, briefly. Then got the server and they asked me to move so they could wipe up the spill. There were no further condolences given and they did not offer anything in means of retribution, such as a free dessert or what have you. I think that it's not so much about getting the freebie as it is about the gesture, of which, there was none.
(2)
Jade M.
If I could rename this place, it'd be Chewystickyrubberygrossopolis. I sincerely don't know how this place has good reviews. Maybe no one has had decent Italian meals before? Or maybe people like spending lots of money on awful food and service? Who knows.... First off - microfiber wall art panels next to an oil painting???! What. The. F*ck. Secondly, everything I tasted was mediocre AT BEST. The garlic bread was HORRID. I had to grow a second pair of incisors to rip through the rubbery bread - but after the first taste of it I knew I didn't want to go back for more anyways. I ordered the eggplant parmesan (Why?! WHY DID I DO IT?!!!), and it was probably the worst I've ever had. No, I take it back - it was *definitely* the worst I've ever had. It had no flavor, and it was as grossly chewy as the garlic bread. They served it with a side of sticky pasta that was either way undercooked, or maybe it was just sitting out on the counter since lunch time? What a waste of calories. Also, the girl delivering our food spilled hot veal juice on my mom's lap. Grossss. She apologized and tried to clean it up, but my biggest issue was when the server walked over and saw what had happened. He acted so nonchalant about it I'm wondering if it happens all the time? All he did was say in a monotone apathetic voice, "Shucks." Oh, and request to not be sat in the back room at a table under the swamp cooler. It was pretty unsanitary. One of the people in our group said she got splashed on at least twice by the chemical water leaking from above. So avoid it if possible, unless you think the filthy swamp cooler leakage will add some flavor to your meal?
(1)
Bray S.
Their staff is attentive and their food is amazing! We expecially enjoyed their version of loco moco :-)
(5)
Sarah K.
We had a nice meal at Kauai Pasta, but it wasn't a favorite. We ordered the Truffle Parmesan fries from the lounge menu, which were really tasty and came with 4 homemade dipping sauces. Then we split The Sampler, which was good and a nice-sized portion, but not anything super special. The restaurant is sort of lacking ambiance... I felt like it was just a restaurant at home, not like I was on vacation in Kauai. Good choice if you're craving Italian, but nothing too special.
(3)
Wes Y.
I had the House Pasta. It was ok. The garlic bread that they give you along with the pasta is pretty good. I think they kind of overdo it on the sauce though - I think it's an American thing. After I finished my pasta I had about 3/4 cup left of meat sauce left on the plate. I ate the leftover sauce plain, but yeah...wish there were either more noodles or less sauce. I was kinda disappointed since the rating is so high for this place on yelp, but eh...maybe I ordered the wrong thing. I did however ask for recommendations for pasta and the house pasta was one of them - the other was fettucini alfredo and the other one was another pasta with chicken or something...I forget the name. Service was good though.
(3)
Jeremy W.
delicious!
(5)
Julie L.
Oh, this is our guilty pleasure. We only go when we have guests on-island because we eat too much and just have to be rolled out! They have two locations, they are both good, the one in downtown Lihue has better atmosphere. The best Fettuchine (sp?) Alfredo we've ever had, four varieties of sauces, all good. Try the fresh salads made with clean clean clean hydroponic greens out of Kilauea, it will be the first tiime you will taste the real potential of a salad - it just TASTES alive! Very friendly service, used to be slower when it was more crowded, but since the downturn and going to two restauants, there are fewer diners - go early, during the first sitting and save yourself a wait. Reservations for groups of 8 or more only, otherwise it's first-come, first serve. Try the Italian Sodas, they are to die for, but pass on the deserts.
(4)
Arielle S.
Not necessarily the type of place you would think of going while in Hawaii, but the pasta was great. My boyfriend got the special which was a ravioli with gorgonzola and apples, which may seem weird, but it was one of the most delicious things I've ever tried.
(5)
Roxie B.
Food was OK but service and atmosphere left a lot to be desired. My daughter loved her penne with Alfredo sauce. My husband liked his lasagna. I am gluten intolerant so I was glad to find GF pasta but the marinara spaghetti was nothing to write home about. It was hot inside this tiny joint with almost no air conditioning. Jen had very little interest in serving us. Several other employees attended to us more than she did. Bad service and uncomfortable temperatures are hard to overcome with mediocre food. Duke's and Hukilau were so amazing this was bound to be a let down. When in HI don't do Italian.
(3)
Marisa B.
Mmmm love this place get the pasta sampler
(5)
Yang H.
Best Italian Rest in Kauai !!!
(5)
Randy O.
Our last evening (and dinner) on Kauai, we went to Kauai Pasta. The restaurant doesn't look too appealing from the exterior, but we were very happy with the meal. There were 7 of us (4 adults, 3 kids under the age of 8); the prices were very reasonable, we all ordered pasta w/ the house meat sauce. As others have noted, they heap on the sauce (not a problem for me); only negative is that they charge for bread, but given their reasonable prices, probably not a big deal. I wouldn't say the place is "kid aware" (they do not have plastic cups for kids drinks; no crayons or paper placemats for drawing). This is a "don't miss" place if you are anywhere nearby; hands down a better meal and pricing than any "tourist" places in/around Poipu. The 7 of us ate for under $100, which included salads and drinks.
(4)
Irvin C.
The only reason why I went here is because it was yelp rated, hoping it was going to be a good experience, which it wasn't. The food was okay, The Pork Pot Roast I ordered was dry and salty, but the service sucked big time, I mean, have they never heard of the term "the customer is always right"? My wife asked not to have cheese on her dish and made sure a second time when the waiter brought our kids dinners first. So wouldn't you know it, her dish came with cheese, after explaining this to the waiter, he told us that all Italian food comes with cheese! WTF! And then continued to argue with us on how "Italian" food is. Ooookay... so then he brought another dish with out cheese a half an hour later. During this half hour wait, other people walked in, ordered and got their food before my wife got hers. What's up with that? Racism? What ever it is, it wasn't right. So screw you, tall skinny white guy with dark hair.
(1)
E S.
Best meal we had on Kauai. Unfortunately this doesn't mean it was truly amazing, but it was pretty darn good and the prices were great for Kauai. We spent about $60 bucks (including tip) on 2 beers, a large ceasar, a greek style pasta (spaghetti with spinach, feta, pinenuts, olives, and tomato in a garlic olive oil sauce) and eggplant parmesan with pasta on the side. The sauces were great and we had leftovers to eat for lunch the next day. I'm sure we'll return next time we're on the island.
(4)
Lucia C.
My family and I were on vacation in Kauai for a week, and this place was hands down the BEST place we ate at the whole time. After trying out various seafood and Hawaiian food restaurants all over the north, east, and south shores, we decided to try this place out on a recommendation from an employee named Brittany (who we met earlier that morning as she also works part-time leading horseback riding tours). We were so glad we went! The place has great ambience, very clean and comfortable. Service was friendly and attentive, and our waitress gave great recommendations on food. Prices were very reasonable and portions were large. And best of all, the food was DELICIOUS!!! We were so happy we were finally able to go to a restaurant we were so impressed by, although we were kind of sad that our favorite restaurant after a week on Kauai turned out to be a pasta place. Oh well...
(5)
Jen B.
Great place for pasta. Huge portions and very good.
(4)
Steve H.
Food was awesome. All five of us (myself, my wife and three kids) loved all of the dishes we ordered. The price was reasonable, and the atmosphere was homey.
(5)
Jake H.
Do not let the outer appearance of this restaurant fool you. You could drive by it 100 times without the desire to go in. GO IN. This was one of the better restaurants we ate at on the island. Food was excellent, GREAT beer selection, good service, and good ambiance.
(5)
Robert c.
Great meal, great price. Friendly service even though we did takeout, woman helped me pick out our meal over the phone and was really pleasant about it. We got the pasta special for the evening and some delicious potato gnocchi with some tasty sausage and red sauce and a pretty good salad. Good portion sizes so an entree, app, and salad totally filled my wife and I. Restaurant had a nice feel to it but music was a bit funky. Had a nice lounge area to wait in as well. Hard to find as it is tucked in next to a taco bell I think. Would of eaten here repeatedly but felt like I needed to eat some fish while on the island.
(5)
K P.
Husband & I went and got an app and two of their specials. Both dishes were very good. Good service.
(4)
R N.
Solid Italian food. You would never notice it if someone didn't tell you about it. Good portions and moderate prices. We would return.
(4)
A C.
My mom got the GF margherita pizza. The GF pizza was great. It's not the pre-packaged dough you usually get. It was thicker than most crusts and light and fluffy. It was a little salty, but in a good way. I had the GF pesto. The sauce was really good, the noodles were average. 5 stars for the pizza, 3 stars for the pasta. Prices are between $15-$20 a plate plus the usual $2 GF surcharge. The waitress was very knowledgeable about celiacs and mentioned that they change everything when GF was ordered. Separate pots, water, etc. I didn't have a reaction at all.
(4)
Tyson H.
Kauai pasta- great food at a reasonable cost. The lunch special in Kapaa from 11-3 is a killer deal! Definitely the best $11 I've spent on the island since I got here. Friendly service and plenty of seating. Our server (CharlieB) was on the ball too- great customer service. If only there were more places on Kauai with servers like him. I ordered the house pasta and the spinach pesto chicken panini. Both of which were delicious. The house pasta has an excellent sauce that reminded me of my fathers spaghetti; that's how you know it's good. The panini was made with fresh soft toasted bread and had ample chicken on it as well. My wife ordered the Chicken Parmesan with Fettuccine Alfredo on the side. Chicken was cooked perfectly and had a nice crust on that was nom. Fettuccine Alfredo's sauce was just right not too cheesy nor too creamy- texture and flavor were spot on! I would definitely recommend giving Kauai Pasta a try if you are in the area and craving some bomb Italian food.
(5)
Ying L.
This is our first time dinning here while visiting the island. Service: The waitress only gave us 2 plates even she confirmed there were 3 of us. I asked for lemon for the fried calamari and she never came back with it. She never came back to check on us after the food arrived. Food: clams pasta...no flavor with only a few pieces of pasta. (See picture) Too over priced for $20+. Fried calamari-ok. Little too salty for me. Caesar salad--was ok. My son ordered the meat sauce pasta. He said it was too salty and I agreed with him too. Parking: small parking lot. Difficult to get in and out of the parking lot.
(1)
Kara P.
Not too shabby a spot... Pasta marinara was awesome..the edamame not so much...out of place ingredients for an Italian place..
(4)
Edward W.
Not bad. Pasta Pomodora was a little bland.Everything else ok.
(3)
Laurie C.
I always love going to Kauai Pasta in Kapa'a, especially for their lunch special, which recently went up to $10.95 and offers two choices from a menu (I wish there was a way to even get a third choice because I often spend waaay too long debating my choices!!) The portion sizes really are quite comfortable and the food just bursts with flavor. The Pesto Pasta is very fresh and the salads are crisp and flavorful. Definitely try the House Pasta too for a hearty flavor!! The paninis are a smidge chewy for me, but full of flavor!! Desserts can run as much (or more) than the lunch special, but are always worth it!! Do note that at lunch time, guests are asked to use the KP Lounge door, located next to Nani Moon Meadery. The lounge is wonderfully cool and dark and offers a nice respite on sweltering days!! Salud!!
(5)
Matthew C.
This restaurant had good food. For us, it was somewhat expensive. The restaurant is located in a plain (not upscale) shopping center. But the inside of the restaurant is very nice. It appeared to be a good restaurant for groups.
(3)
Dani P.
Three stars wish I could do more. Food was awesome, My pasta was $20 and husbands steak was $35. Drinks were just alright, I got two fancy cocktails the mojito and the Rosemary& Ginger Margarita. Skip the cocktails and get wine you'll be more satisfied. Appetizer was delicious but kinda small for what you pay. Service was bad, we spent 10 min just waiting to be seated even with a reservation. Took forever to get our food and the two waitresses in our area would sit and chat at tables for 10 min while we were stuck in the corner waiting to eat. Like I said food was good but don't expect the best service for the price you will pay to eat here
(3)
Kaiulani P.
Everything we ordered was amazing! The appetizer menu was so delicious we ordered so many that we barely had room for dinner! (clams, calamari, bruschetta, ravioli) Amazing! Then the entrees were so fabulous too! (whiskey rib eye, grilled chicken pasta, veal marsala, pesto pasta with shrimp) lots of leftovers can't wait to reheat and eat
Legit Italian food! The pasta was cooked perfectly and the Alfredo was great, not too rich, not too light. The meatball sliders were great too!
(5)
John M.
This place has a banana bread pudding that is the best thing I've ever eaten. Kauia Pasta is a great place to stop for a reasonably priced (by Hawaii standards) meal. The staff was friendly and incredibly talkative... our server gave us some great tips for hikes and adventures to check out. The pasta was good- but the service and the banana bread pudding put this place over the top. We stopped in three nights in a row to get our bread pudding fix. You've been warned.
(3)
Guy B.
In the dark it's almost impossible to find, something about the address will goof with your gps ...next to Taco Bell, the only light is the "open" sign in the window. Definitely worth the hunt. I've eaten at the Lihue location and this is just as good. Reasonably priced , large servings (a rare combination on this state unless your doing a plate lunch lol). Crispy calamari app is amazing. Stuff portobello app is good but an overpowering lemon flavor masks any chance to taste the crab. Lasagna w/meat sauce is worth getting as is the Alfredo. A bit more efficiency on the server side would have earned that 5th star in my book.
(4)
Desiree M.
To start, my husband and I love Italian food. Any kind, all the time.. Everyday. This place was wonderful. We found it on yelp (I find most of our places on here) we walked in and they asked if we made a reservation. We did not but he said that was find they could get us right in. We were there right before the dinner rush, considering we are 3 hours ahead of time. We got there at 5:30pm (really it's 8:30 to us) Our servers name was Tyson L. He was wonderful. He gave us time to look at the menu, let us ask questions. We ordered an appetizer (home made meat balls) and then ordered dinner shortly after. The timing on everything was spot on. By the time the food came out they were on a wait and he was very busy. He was still kind and very attentive. My husband liked that we were not rushed. He even boxed my food considering all the tables he had. We had such a great dinner here! Very recommended!
(5)
Amanda R.
I'd like to give 3.5. Front of the house didn't seem welcoming or friendly however our server was very pleasant. Our food was delicious and I was so excited to go to this place because the food looked so amazing. We ordered kids pizza ( which is on a bread so kids might be disappointed ) chicken parmesan which was delicious and huge portion, gluten free margarita pizza which lacked sauce everything was right in the dead center and very dry. We also ordered fettuccine Alfredo that was really good. Also side green salad was delicious and Caesar salad was a normal salad little light on the dressing.
(3)
Baby C.
We had a great time here! Gab was our server and was really sweet and very attentive.
(5)
Sara M.
Very good food. Fresh sauces made with care. Well done and worth the price. Elegant atmosphere friendly staff.
(5)
Kristen K.
Although we enjoyed our dinner at Kauai Pasta, I just couldn't bring myself to give it anymore than 3 stars. It is "A-ok" don't get me wrong. But here's some of my thoughts about this joint (in my humble opinion): -I got the "sampler": white sauce, red sauce, pesto. Added meatballs. The meatballs were great! The white sauce and red sauce went very well together. But the pesto (although of good consistency and flavor) was just drenched in oil. I know pesto is basically oil. But it soaked everything else on the plate and I left quite a bit of noodles because they were completely saturated. Maybe I should have asked for that on the side. -My husband got their special "carbonara" of the night, made with spinach noodles. The noodles were very good! The rest of the components were also good BUT the sauce was watery, weak, and just a big disappointment. -Portion size was just right -Truffle fries....are hard to mess up. -The bread & butter was good -The wines by the glass weren't very appealing at all -The price: decent Overall, if you're craving Italian food while visiting Kauai, this is a pretty good pick. It's pretty casual and you can stop in after the beach in shorts and slippers.
(3)
Peter A.
I had their pesto veggie linguini, my son had the chicken parm. Both dishes were excellent. The bread they give as appetizer was tasty with a hint of Rosemary. The dessert didn't seem unique enough for us to try, we rather go find a homemade ice cream shop after a good meal. Great Italian food overall away from the Mainland. Definitely a must-go at least once during your stay here on the Garden Isle. Oh yeah, and great service!
(4)
Shawna M.
I love the kp lunch specials! They are affordable and filling. Always get truffle fries! They are so delicious ! The lounge is a little small in the back but its good for a one on one lunch date. Dinner is good too. Nice ambience. The smell of the food when it arrives smells so good. I prefer the Kapaa location than the Lihue location. Lihue doesnt have a lunch special or truffle fries which sucks. Being that they are the small restaurant, they should consider the lunch specials and truffle fries.
(5)
Jeffrey W.
Very good pasta. I got the house pasta and it was like excellent homemade. The mushroom soup was gourmet. The service was very good as well. Funny thing was they lock the front door of the restaurant and you are directed around the building to a side entrance that is a bar, a very smelly bar at that, that is connected to the restaurant. This was a big turn off for me, I thought for a minute that we were expected to eat in this stale booze environment. But then we were told we could eat there or around the corner in the dining room.
(4)
Phillip T.
Amazingly well prepared italian food in the heart of Kauai. We came in expecting diner quality food but their quality of food is on part of real italian. The noodles were al dente the sauces were light and presentation was excellent. The only downside was they were out of a key ingredient in one of our dishes and there was no offer to compensate and were charged full price. We would reccomend.
(4)
Eric K.
We got in before the rush. Literally the only people there. Twenty minutes later every table was full. It was good it they didn't have some of the items that others were talking up in reviews. My steak was ok but inconsistently cooked. Half was well done the other half medium-rare. My wife got a pasta dish and she didn't even want to wrap the half of the meal she didn't eat, which says something. It wasn't bad.... But for the price there is better to be had.
(3)
Annie N.
They're connected to an entire other wing called "KP lounge" where you can get drinks and some atmosphere. Looked cool. All in all, not a memorable meal, but service was good. The hostess is friendly, and one tan gentlemen stood out as well, giving local tips to the table next to us. I got the pesto pasta and meatballs and the meatballs surprised me instantly with the choice of seasoning. I was expecting the usual Parmesan-tasting meatball but was caught off guard by a Mediterranean spice. It reminded me of gyros, and then I thought of lamb. I will say my favorite thing was their apple crisp dessert. It comes with vanilla ice cream and the 'crisp' part of it all was just so good. Nice quaint place for dinner with intimate lighting. I wouldn't go as far as romantic; we had kids stomping and yelling behind us the entire time.
(3)
Kyle W.
Incredibly well-crafted pasta sauces, homemade sausage and meatballs, and excellent service. Try the pasta sampler with meatballs (which is not on the menu) or the lasagna with meat sauce -- both among the best we've ever had (and we've eaten a ton of good pasta, let me tell you!) Possibly the meal under $20 on the island!
(5)
Cassie C.
One of the only places open late near where we were staying. The food was pretty good but not great. They have a lounge in the back so it was pretty loud inside. If you're in a pinch come here, if not I'd pass.
(3)
Kevin S.
Huge portions and friendly service. The pasta was nothing special though. The pesto pasta was kind of bland. Nice atmosphere though, with separate areas for a bar, casual seating, and more intimate seating.
(3)
Chloe L.
I'm so disappointed! I thought this place would be great considering the 4 star Yelp rating. My bf and I ordered spinach artichoke dip, butternut squash ravioli, pesto chicken w fettuccine alfredo, and a ribeye special. $80 wasted on garbage. Our hostess and waitress were friendly, so that's why I'm not giving this place 1 star. I made reservations for 7:30, we arrived at 7:15, and we waited until 7:30 to be seated (which was no problem). We ordered shortly after being seated since we looked over the menu as we waited. Two appetizers and two entrees. Table bread arrived almost 30 minutes after we placed our orders, appetizers came out maybe 10-15 minutes after the bread. The table bread came with a yummy garlic butter, but our waitress brought no plates until we got our appetizers. The spinach artichoke dip was SO thick - way too much cheese. It was difficult to eat, but I'm not going to waste $10 dip. The ravioli was pretty good. I've had better, but this wasn't bad! Steak was okay. Pesto chicken was okay. Everything here seems pretty mediocre at best. The alfredo was no good. Once again, too much damn cheese. I ate a couple bites and I was done. For what they charge, I expect food (and service!) of a much higher quality. So disappointed. Not going back.
(2)
William T.
This was the best meal we had on Kauai by far! I was A little apprehensive to have Italian food while in Kauai but they absolutely blew me away. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they used my favorite local fish and incorporated it into their dishes. I had a fettuccine alfredo topped with fresh Ahi and i was in heaven! Everybody loved loved loved their meals! Do not over look this place!
(5)
Stephanie L.
More than likely one of the only places to get Italian food on the island. Came here out of superstition to eat pasta/noodles on my birthday (thanks Asianparents) -- nothing to write home about. A little better than Olive Garden. Ps: it's cold inside; bring a jacket!
(3)
James W.
Tried the calamari, bruschetta, goat cheese & arugula salad, and pesto pasta w/ shrimp. Everything was very good. The calamari has a sauce and was reminiscent of an appetizer you would find at a sushi restaurant - which worked and was a good thing. Especially liked the bruschetta - loved that it was soft focaccia bread with trimmed crust & no hard bits.
(5)
Darlene B.
Womp. Pasta fail...well, kind of! This place got such great reviews! We were trying to go to the other location, but ended up at this one. We were able to make last minute reservations via Open Table....it was Mother's Day after all. The menu had some pricey options. We ordered the Calamari as the table's appetizer and it was actually really good! It was large portion with a chili-like sauce on top. I ordered Spaghetti, hated that the meatballs were an additional few dollars. Boo! The meatballs were the weird part...they tasted funny. It was as if they were unwrapped from a plastic container, cooked, and the plastic wore off on it. I forced myself to eat it BECAUSE it was extra. We also had the truffle fries...the fries were too crispy..almost burnt. I dislike it when places do french fries wrong. The portions are also quite large, i believe everyone else enjoyed the pesto, alfredo...but i couldn't enjoy damn spaghetti. I wouldn't consider it a Kauai Staple must-have.
(3)
Noel H.
Came here for our first dinner in Kapa'a. We had high expectations for this place since we love to eat Italian food and were referred by a few friends who are from Kauai/visit often. This could be why I only gave them 3 stars instead of 4. The goat cheese and arugula salad was great. For entrees we ordered the chicken Parmesan with pesto and the Greek pasta. The pasta was cooked al dente, just the way we like but we weren't wowed with the flavor. After speaking to a Kauai native on our way out of Kauai, they suggested that we get "the sampler" next time we visit (pasta with chicken and different types of sauces)... but it's not on the menu! how can we enjoy something so awesome if we don't know it exists?! Oh well, maybe we will return to check it out and re-evaluate our experience.
(3)
Connie K.
... We each had the lunch combo.. I got pesto pasta and fettuccine Alfredo. My husband got the fettuccine Alfredo and chicken florentine panini .. We both LOVED the pesto pasta! I was pleasantly surprised with the lunch portion, especially for the price! Too bad we didn't find this place until our last day here! We easily paid the same price for half the food everywhere else! We also split the Parmesan fries.. Not my favorite, but to each their own! :)
(5)
Suzy H.
Great service, VERY sub par food. Pesto pasta was very bad and came out cold. Pizza was fine, nothing terrific.
(1)
Eric W.
As funny as it may seem, out of the ten dinners I had in Kauai, this was probably the best. My family had the shrimp and scallop stuffed ravioli and a couple orders of Parmesan chicken. Both dishes were fantastic and the service was the best we experienced on the island. Well recommended.
(5)
Maloos K.
Super expensive!!! I paid $18 for a plate of plain pasta with half chopped tomato, two leaves of basil and maybe a sprinkle of cheese which you barely could taste!!! When we asked why is that so expensive, she said the cost is high in Hawaii!!!! It might me right for certain things but I believe some places are just misusing this situation!!! Anyhow, she offered us to take it off from my bill but since I don't believe in wasting food, I took my food home to have it later even though it has been the most tasteless/expensive pasta in my life!!!! And the place itself is very gloomyyyy. Oh! I won't go back there again!!!
What a surprise! This was recommended by a shop owner down the street. At first glance, I thought it looked like a dump. After reading the rave reviews on Yelp, I had to give it a try. I ordered their signature appetizers, butternut squash ravioli and truffle fries. THese guys do not disappoint!!! The butternut squash ravioli would be a great entree just in itself! Perfectly sweet and salty...with cream butternut squash! YUMMMMMM! Truffle fries came with 4 homemade dipping sauces, but I think they taste amazing by itself. Calamari was pretty darn tasty too! If i had to come back, I'd order a bunch of appetizers and just go to town! As an entree, I ordered the truffle ramen which is made with angel hair pasta, edamame, shrimp, and greens in a truffle broth. The broth itself was tasty but I just feel that ramen noodles would've worked better in this particular dish. My husband got a pork dish that was prepared with a vacuum sealed pouch and flavored beautifully. I couldn't remember the name of this dish but ask for the one that's prepared with a vacuum sealed pouch. Clam linguini looked amazing. Come to think of it, they all looked amazing. Even the kid's dishes were yummy. I just wish they had one in Oahu =(
(5)
Shannon S.
Good friend said it was GREAT. So gave it a try! The best part of the dinner was the bread and the wine.. (Things they didn't make) The ravioli's were cold, the crab stuffed mushroom smelled like fish before it was set on table.. Tasted funny... Everything was average.. And mostly sweet in flavor.. The server didn't even ask if things were ok.. When you could see we didn't eat any of the food. Not. Worth going back.
(1)
Brian S.
We had the Ceasar Salad, Crispy Calamari, and the Pesto Chicken Pasta. Flavors and portion are there. Let's just say this... If I got food poisoning, I'd still come back.
(5)
Jackie Y.
This place is amazing. We had a gluten free margarita pizza and brown rice Alfredo. We are coming back here again soon!
(5)
Chuck E.
You have to try this. The service is good, the wait staff caters to you. Order the calamari, it is the best. All four meals were outstanding. I can't say enough about the food. We will definitely be back.
(5)
Tyson L.
Good food but the service could use a bit of help. I think it might help if they had more than one server. They were very polite and I stated the food was very good and size portions were good too.
(4)
Krissy W.
Very good!! Enjoyed the fettuccine and their bread is tasty and plentiful, salads were very scrumptious too - can't wait to go back and try desert
(4)
Amanda F.
The four stars is due to a chaotic shift change which left our table completely under attended. The food was very good. We had 3 different pasta dishes and a pizza panini. Everything was generously portioned and tasted delicious! My warm goat cheese salad was huge, but could have used another veggie or two-it was just greens and tomatoes. Our first server was very friendly and attentive! Will be returning!
(4)
Jim R.
We wanted something a little different halfway through our family Hawaiian getaway so chose Kauai pasta after looking through yelp. We made a reservation (called same day) which was a good idea as the place seats maybe 40 and there were several people waiting outside at 7 pm. I selected the "house made" pasta and house special bolognese sauce and was a bit disappointed. The pasta seemed more like boxed spaghetti and the totally wrong pasta for the thick meaty sauce. My wife on the other hand had the squash ravioli and appreciated that you could get either a full or half sized order. Her pasta definitely looked home made. Service was rather lacking but I think it may be that they were severely understaffed. Our waiter Adam seemed to be handling about 1/2 of the place and despite his literally running from place to place just couldn't keep up on the night we visited. If you really want pasta, this place is fine, but nothing to write home about.
(3)
Francine G.
Happy we made reservations for New Year's Day Dinner. We got seated within minutes of arriving, while there was a mob at the door & outside; even though we were surrounded by several empty tables. First fail was trying to spread a what seemed to be overly chilled, if not frozen garlic butter ball on cold bread. Got our beverages at the same time as our appetizers; guess it was busier than we thought. Ordered the usual Side Caesar Salad & Fettuccine Alfredo, but decided to add Chicken this time. We've eaten here numerous times, but this was the first time we weren't happy with the food and service. The Pasta was very underdone, while the Chicken was overdone and dry. Service wasn't the usual either.... one refill for my son's beverage after we received our entrees and we never saw anyone other than when we asked for the check. Very limited on Kauai as far as the restaurants we choose to patronize; we'll eventually return to Kauai Pasta in Kapaa, but it may be awhile...
(3)
marc o.
We decided to go against instinct and try. The reviews were love or hate so we figured it might be one of those gems that is just mis-understood...If the price wasn't so high i would have gone 3 stars as the food was on par with an an "average" italian place. Daughter got $15 pepperoni pizza. Actually thought is was good, but more of a $10 size at 12 inches. Wife and I shared the Ahi appetizer special. Tuna was pounded thin, but heavy with gristle. Taste was good for the 60% that was edible. Butternut squash ravioli appetizer and fettuccine Alfredo was main course. I really liked the ravioli, but the price($12) for 5 medium ravioli was (again) high. Alfredo was decent, but I would get Bobby V's over this any day and save the $$. Bobby v's is slightly better for half the price. Sure you give up some ambiance, but if you are okay with a less fancy option keep the $40 and use it for something memorable.
This place is a joke, Jolly the server/bartender needs to work on her customer service skills. Very rude and unwelcoming, and for that I will never recommend this place. She needs to learn these skills before she goes back into public again in the work field. I wont let her ruin the aloha spirit of Kauai. Shame on you Jolly!!
(1)
Eric B.
This was exactly what we needed after finding the nearby fish market closed. Fresh and delicious with good service. We were famished and left nice and happy. Aloha
(5)
Ashton G.
We have come here twice and let me say we haven't been disappointed! I think we actually could have been ruined on any other calamari. It was the best I have ever had by far! I also highly recommend the bruschetta as an appetizer. My favorite dish is the pesto chicken pasta. Huge portion and worth every bite! I recommend for anyone that likes Italian food! Was happy to get away from the fried food we have been having!
(5)
Dawn R.
My husband and I love Kauai Pasta. The Kapaa location has a weekly pick two lunch menu that is very reasonably priced and good portions. The bread pudding is amazing! The soups are delicious too!
(5)
Lindi L.
When j am home I always try to make to in to the Kauai pasta . I love the truffle fries and the pasta chicken fettuccine. The calamari is the best !!!! Parking is a bit of a problem but it is worth it becouse the food is so good.
(5)
Sher R.
We visited here after reading some good reviews from yelp. Well, yelp does fail sometimes. I'd skip this one. Mediocre food that did not taste like it was cook by an actual chef. My husband said that his was good, although it wasn't even Italian, it was a thai dish. I had the chicken parmesan which was smothered in red sauce after I ordered a cream alfredo sauce. Service was friendly. Skip this one, not recommended.
(2)
Preston C.
Really? This is sugarland canned tomato flavor. And really? Parking? I'd rather go to tacobell than eat the filth you serve here. Kauai pasta must be synonymous with "vomit flavor" pasta and "we hate customers."
(1)
Jim H.
The house pasta and gluten free pesto pasta were both quite good. We ordered take-out so I can not comment about the service. Our food was ready in 30 minutes; they were telling customers when I arrived the wait time for a table was 45 minutes.
(4)
Michelle P.
Very tiny place, semi-romantic ambience, not good for groups, very SLOW service!! Our side of spinach came out cold too but they made us a new side. That being said, our pesto grilled chicken was VERY good, as was our house salad and the fresh bread with garlic butter was good. The lasagna was okay...too much thyme. There was a bug on our table but overall the restaurant was clean. Maybe better for takeout.
(2)
ImLookingAt U.
Too cold inside Run of the mill food No atmosphere. Friendly server Had half a panini that came with small cesser salad. All flavors were good but would not go back.
(2)
Sara O.
Alright. It was good for Hawaii, but I have had better Italian in NYC, DC, Silver Spring (Pete's, Olazzo, Sergio's) or Baltimore and even NJ. We came here on our last day before our late night flight. I ordered the eggplant parmesan. And my boyfriend order the goat cheese arugula salad. The food was edible and okay, but I would def have preferred to eat someplace else in this area had I known that it was not going to be as mind blowing as I had expected. It def beats Olive Garden, but the prices, service, and food are not as good as expected. I looked at the yelp review of this place and I would have to disagree a bit with the rave reviews. Maybe we had ate so much throughout the week that we were just not hungry enough to enjoy the food, but it tasted like pasta and salad that I could make at home and the service was not that great or fast enough to give this place 4 stars I just think Italian is so simple that restaurants need to deliver something special. If I lived in Kapaa this review of course would be 4 stars as I would eventually crave Italian and would want this place to stay open, but if you are from mainland U.S. and have moderately discerning tastes, you may be slightly disappointed.
(3)
Tim F.
When we arrived we were promptly seated in the back room and our server, Travis, was at our table shortly. The wine selection seemed to be pretty good and we began with salads. I had a house salad and my wife had the baby spinach salad, both were delicious. I just had water to drink for my meal and I noticed that the staff was really on top of keeping my glass full (and I was quite parched from a long day of hiking) so kudos on the excellent service. For the main course my wife had the butternut squash ravioli. I managed to trade her a ravioli for a piece of garlic bread (also delicious) and she and I agreed that it was to die for, almost tasted like a desert. She ordered the appetizer portion to go along with her large salad and thought it was a perfect portion, anything larger would have been too rich. I, on the other hand, had the chicken Parmesan with a side of linguine and meat sauce. The meat sauce was very good and had somewhat of a smoky flavor that I couldn't quite place. The chicken breast was very large but was over-cooked. It wasn't bad, but not anything I'd order again. We didn't have desert and had great service up until it was time to pay the check. It took quite a while for Travis to cash us out. Overall we received very good service throughout. We'd return again, and I'd definitely have the butternut ravioli and whatever maximizes the serving of garlic bread :)
(4)
Joe N.
We dined as a group of 6 on a Saturday. After being greater promptly, we waited about 10 minutes to be seated. Pretty amazing on a busy Saturday night! The waiter, Tyson, demonstrate extreme professionalism. Tyson was ready to discuss drink specials and menu highlights the moment we were seated. He brought our drinks and several loaves of house baked bread in minutes. We also tried the calamari appetizer. Delicious! It was crispy and topped with a spicy drizzle. Our meals followed shortly. Pasta was fresh and cooked to a perfect aldente. The house sauce had a spicy flavor to it and small pieces of meat, all which elevated the dish to amazing. For desert, we had the bread pudding. It was served warm, amd quickly disappeared. When we got the bill, we were shocked of the extreme value. The level of service, quality of food, and location make this establishment a must try. Overall, Kauai Pasta Kapaa is well worth the trip!
(5)
Victoria S.
My husband and I loved loved loved the food here, we are loved the pasta! Everything is so fresh and yummy! Service is great and very polite people. Place is clean and has a romantic feeling, we loved it! This should be rated to 5 stars!
(5)
Arubah K.
First let's talk about the good stuff! We stopped here for dinner on our first night in Kauai and were immediately seated despite being 30 mins early for our reservation. Still I would suggest making a reservation before going in because by the time we were leaving, it was getting really packed. Food came out really quickly, we were helped several times by servers wanting to fill our water and take our plates away. They seemed to really care about our experience and that was a nice change! We got chicken parm with Alfredo sauce and truffle fries. GET THE TRUFFLE FRIES! The fries themselves are fantastic but the sauces they give you (4--ketchup, alfredo sauce, ranch, and this scintillatingly delicious orange sauce) just bring the whole thing together. The chicken parm was the best chicken parm I've ever had... The marinara was really tangy but was offset nicely by the fettuccine alfredo. Yummmm Ok couple of reasons I gave this place a 4 and not a 5: The portions are pretty small. My husband and I love to eat/have leftovers and I just think portion size is an important part to consider when rating any place. That in mind, this place was also really pricy. Most nice Italian places are, yadda yadda yadda, but you're getting small portions for a good amount of money, especially if you wanna add meat to any pasta.
(4)
Aatif M.
Portion is good size. One pasta and an appetizer was enough for two of us. We ordered the pasta sampler which was great! It had Alfredo, pesto and marinara sauce and all three were quite good (Alfredo and pesto more so than marinara). Crispy calamari was so-so. Overall, it was better than we expected.
(4)
Layne R.
Delicious meal with slightly sub-par service. Our dinner at Kauai Pasta was fantastic. We had some baked cheese appetizer that was delicious and calimari that was excellent. Probably my second favorite serving of calimari (which is no dig cause my #1 pick is awesome). Dinner for me was chicken parm and pasta. The chicken was meaty and juicy and breaded perfectly and great. The pasta was excellent and sauce delicious. Our only issue was service. Our waiter was very good when he was helping us. The issue was that it seemed like he was over worked, had too many tables or something. There seemed to be 2 hostess, a bus boy taking care of filling water pitchers and replacing glasses (but not refilling water glasses people were using, leaving that to the overworked waiter...) and then another waitress that I don't know where she was working... He was just spread too thin. It was just a little slow and with a few too many longer than necessary delays. If they could get that issue worked out, this place would be fantastic. If you want delicious italian food, this is a great place to go. if you are in a hurry, maybe not.
(4)
Cory M.
2 locations both are grinds. Kapaa has the lounge, good vibe, super fun. Specials are always legit. Could be a nice date night or just grab a drink with buddies
(5)
Emma F.
Had a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner here. The roasted corn ravioli with truffle cream sauce was the most amazing thing on the prix fixe that night. I would go again just for that ravioli. I would definitely recommend it if you want some quality Italian to get a break from plate lunches. Check this place out.
(4)
Rosalina R.
Food was okay the waitress named Tori was very rude she placed my dessert hard on the table never smiled had no personality very disappointing
(3)
Shawna P.
My boyfriend and I shared the chicken Parmigiana. And thankfully, we did! The plate was huge! Chicken came with marinara and we had options for sauce on the spaghetti, chose meat sauce. Everything tasted excellent. The plate came out very quickly and the only complaint is that the chicken wasn't steaming hot. It was a little cool. Still, it was a great meal.
(4)
John R.
We went here on a friend recommendation and I'd say don't let the outside fool you! Looks like a hole in the wall but the food was delicious! We had a party of 6 and all of us loved our meal! They gave delicious bread w garlic butter before our meal that we all devoured too. Great service as well! Make a reservation but if not the lounge in the back is full menu and a bit nicer actually!
(5)
Serena P.
I love going to this place for their lunch. Great deals. Great food. I just landed from visiting the mainland and was craving some pasta. We got there a little after lunch. A little bummed about missing their lunch specials, we ordered the bruschetta and truffle fries. They were absolutely amazing!!! I loved the flavors of the bruschetta. I will def be going back for happy hour. Ps the pesto pasta is my favorite!
(4)
Christy H.
This was our last meal in Kauai after 8 days, and by far the best. Better than Tide Pills at the Hyatt, better than the Beach House in Poipu. Please stop in for what will be your favorite meal as well.
(5)
Joanna M.
Very disappointing!!! Truffle fries were soggy and had little to no truffle flavor. Chicken Parmesan was just ok. Way overpriced for mediocre food!
(2)
Richy D.
I love eating at Kauai pasta they have really amazing food! I love their lunch special for $10.95. Love the rib eye when they have it. It's always awesome! Truffle fries a must! Oh and the calamari.....
My husband and I dined for lunch. We tried the Caesar salad with chicken and the Panini with pesto and marinara. The food was nothing special. I do not recommend this restaurant based on the layout, service and bland food. They also serve water out of metal pitchers which makes the water tastes like aluminum.
(3)
Erin M.
Really enjoyed the food. Atmosphere is ok but nothing to write home about. The butternut squash ravioli is fantastic. Homeade ravioli and large portion. I ordered the appetizer size and it was plenty with having a shared appetizer of crab cakes. Crab cakes were also very good. Only improvement would be to have them a bit more crisp and hotter. Chicken Parmesan also good. Just a little on the dry side. Overall we would return. Good food, good price.
(4)
B B.
The Kapaa site is now under different ownership than the Lihue. We didn't know that and they wouldn't let us use our "Kauai Pasta" gift certificate even though it had no location on it. Before finding that out, we were seated in the lounge and found 2 cockroaches on our bench. We were moved, had very good butternut squash ravioli but VERY burnt eggplant Parmesan. The food is nothing special and this site has really let itself go. Head to Lihue if you're in the mood for pasta.
(1)
john h.
I came back here in the summer of 2012. This time I ordered the pasta with sausage, it was delicious. I like the atmosphere, my wife and 6 year old son enjoyed it also. This is my go to place for pasta in Kauai.
(4)
Patience F.
My son and I walked in at 7 pm on a Sunday and were seated within 10 minutes without reservations. I had sangria, which was made with fresh pineapple and fresh pineapple juice with a white wine. Very good. We split a side house salad made with feta, olives, and drizzled with balsamic, another hit. The warm bread was served with garlic butter. I has capellini pasta with basil and tomatoes and parmesan cheese, a nice light pasta dish. The pasta was creamy and smooth. My son had chicken parmesan with the meat sauce. He loves strong flavors and the meat sauce was just that - I could smell the sauce. He really enjoyed his meal. We each ordered dessert. His warm apple crisp was served in two pannikins - one was the crisp and the other contained vanilla ice cream and whipped cream, I had a popcorn flavored ice cream served on two warm cookies which were larger versions of pecan sandies. Service was wonderful, especially with all three servers being pregnant! They were working hard and getting everything done. We will be back!
(4)
Kelly S.
This meal was seriously one of the best meals I have ever eaten! I am from a town on the main land that is over run by Italians, but this food takes the cake! The staff was friendly, helpful, and not over bearing! Do NOT leave this island without coming here! We came by twice in our 5 days here! It was great and oh so tasty!
(5)
Trish K.
All the other 3 & 4 star yelp reviews are right on. This place was fabulous! The calamari is to die for. Warm goat cheese salad was great. Squash ravioli also terrific.. Side pasta was perfect. Loved the pesto sauce. Great friendly service. No AMEX, but that's the only downside I can think of.
(5)
Amanda M.
My first yelp review; because it was THAT good! Food was incredible. I'm a picky eater and very particular about the ingredients that are used. Everything was really fresh, presentation clean and literally everything tasted amazing. Service was great, even ran into the chef that night, Ryan, who could tell me where the meat I was eating was from on the island. Staff was friendly & approachable. Totally made visitors feel like locals. Finished with the banana bread pudding-OMG!! So good.
(5)
Paul H.
Great food, fair prices, and actually a pretty nice place! It doesn't look like much from the outside ("uh...if this place is sketchy inside, we'll just get it to go", I said as we drove up). It was very nicely decorated, clean, and had nice ambiance. Kauai is really expensive, but although this restaurant wasn't "cheap", we certainly got our money's worth. Plenty of food, and we actually had enough left over to take back to our condo for a pasta side for the next night's meal. Pesto chicken and the Eggplant Parmagiana were both very good. Decent price on wines by the glass. Ono!
(5)
Joseph H.
I'm PAU!! Man that was good! (Pau means full for those traveling abroad, like myself.) My wife and I have been to Kauai several times, I guess it's our favorite island after being turned off by the blatant tourism of Oahu. We always say we're going to try Maui but we never get around to it. One thing that we dread on the island is the lack of quality food. Immediately Barren, one of our guide books had the audacity to brag about McDonald's establishments being a hallmark for the garden island. Bleck! Search high and low, and you might never find anything decent on Kauai. Miraculously Kauai Pasta is one of those places, and we've tried the other faux "italian" like Pizzetta's. Kauai Pasta is a place we come back to now each visit, never disappointed. One of the best things about the joint is they have something for everyone. We've dine on the cheap and they have plenty of items including house pasta with your choice sauce for around $10. These are main land prices people. What I can say, and reccomend you do, is branch out and splurge a little bit. Their specials are incredible! For the first time I decided to get a steak on the island and I was stoked! Generally I spring for good fish over here, but the tri-tip easily impressed. Complete with a tower of maui sweet onion rings I was in heaven. Little did I know that a treasure chest of garlic mashed potatoes was buried under the whole thing locked away in a bed of zucchini. You know you can go cheap ya, but the best of Kauai Pasta is a gorgeous meal. My wife ordered the prosciutto wrapped scallops and they were worth every bite. Thank goodness she was kind enough to spot my food envy and pushed one onto my plate. Unlike other people on here I think they're budget pasta is good too, and I like the sauces they heap on. One thing they can do better is to mix up the variety of the noodles, every time we've been it's the same. Never any penne, and the ravs always come in the same wide pouches you might use for crab wontons at Dukes. They're good, but I guess variety might be hard to come by on the tiny island. The place is also hard to find, it's in between a taco bell and an old workout gym. Just keep looking left at Taco Bell and you'll see a full parking lot. Regardless you won't be disappointed in Kauai Pasta, and you'll be glad you found one more island gem to return to, time and time again. Oh, and be sure to say hello to John, the owner. The spirited guy who runs the place seems to know everyone on a first name basis. It's as warm and inviting as any place you'll find, and you might just see us there.
(5)
Jeanie H.
Ate here for the 1st time today and was pleasantly surprised. Eggplant parm w/pesto noodles were really yummy. House spaghetti w/brown rice noodles were good too. Calamari looked yummy but we didn't get them..maybe next time cuz we're definatly going back! Service was great too!!!
(5)
Mike L.
We really liked this place pretty affordable, good service and food was very good. Relied on Yelp for the recommendation and it was good advice. Not much to look at, but we liked. Our group has salads, pasta and panini. All were good. Portions not huge but plenty for lunch. Would stop in again if we had a chance.
(5)
Sean D.
I'm getting tired of writing 4-star reviews! Curse all you yelpers for doing the hard work and singling out the best restaurants so the rest of us can benefit! Solid 4-star experience. Went to both the Kapaa and Lihue locations for lunch only. NO ambiance at all, but the food more than makes up for it. The Kapaa location - only, as far as I can tell - has a great lunch special menu where you can mix 1/2 size portions of a short list of soups, salads, and sandwiches. The chicken florentine panini is outstanding - the side salads are ok, not bad. They serve a good home-brewed fruity iced tea (unsweetened). Other than that, I can't speak to the menu items. Oh, and the wine list is good - they carry two Venge vinyards offerings, and we tried one of the 2008 Scout's Honor which has a ~15% blend of Charbono - love that elusive Charbono!
(4)
Jessy H.
Awesome food, reasonable prices. Definitely get your moneys worth. Drinks from the bar were good too. Probably going to be eating here often.
(5)
Napoleon R.
I'd give this place 2.5 stars if I could. It was not at good as other Yelpers said. My partner and I split the fettuccine alfredo, which made the price a little more reasonable. Our server didn't know what "al dente" meant. Not a huge deal, but a little ominous. The pasta was okay. Not great, but okay. The portion was huge and we had leftovers to take home. We had truffle garlic fries for an appetizer. Those were really good. They were seriously understaffed; they really could have benefited from having someone to answer their phones and seat their guests/add guests to the wait list. I felt bad for the servers and worried about our wait time. I also felt irritated by the phone repeatedly ringing while we waited for our table and during our meal. We waited to be seated a good while, but things seemed to go fairly smoothly after that, although our server looked harried. While waiting for our food, I explored the restaurant and discovered that they have a pretty nice looking lounge with a full bar. If they'd had a host to great us, she could have sent us back there for a drink while we waited for our table. I might go back for the lounge and some fries at the bar, but I probably won't go back to the restaurant.
(3)
Alisha W.
Had lunch here my last day in Kauai. All I had was a plate of Gorgonzola asparagus....It was ABSOLUTELY amazing!!! Since the asparagus was a side dish and I wanted it as my main dish the cook gave me a whole plate for the price of a side. I also had some of my husbands spaghetti with homemade meat sauce... FABULOUS!!! The other people in our party also loved their food. This place is definitely recommended while in Kauai!! Don't be fooled by the outside. The outside does not do it justice. The lunch menu is pretty great...2 items for $9.99.
(4)
Heather W.
Solid food at an excellent price. A lot of people rave about the calamari. Being from NY it's probably a little unfair of me to judge, but truffle oil does not make everything it touches amazing. Don't get me wrong, the calamari was okay but it is by no means the best I've had (or even close to the best I've had). If you want truffle calamari, you can have it here. I'm happy to say, it was not very over cooked either. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the service, the cappelini pomodoro (note to the chef tho - seeing the green center of the tomato is not appetizing) and god bless the sausagey meatballs - I ate everyone of them up. The prosciutto pizza was good too but see previous note about truffle oil (it would've been fine without it). Again, can't beat the price.
(3)
Kristen F.
I ate the lunch special, which had only one vegetarian option- fettuccine alfredo and spinach salad with pears, bleu cheese and raspberry vinaigrette. Nick also had the lunch special with house pasta with meat sauce and Italian sausage and beef and spaghetti If you ordered off the lunch menu, it was a "pick 2" off a list for $9.95. It was great that they included a vegetarian option on there too. Fun to have Italian even in Hawaiii!
(4)
SteffAnie O.
What more can I say but the pasta was excellent! Got the grilled Pesto chicken. Sooo yummy, creamy & garlic-eeee. Mmmm! Price was exceptional! My other half got the eggplant dish with meat sauce, I swear he gulped that down in 2bites. Even the pasta off the kids menu was good! On the other hand, service could improve somewhat. Visited with 2toddlers (2&3), majority of the booths were open, but the hostess set us up for thee 1 regular table. :/ didn't offer a booster seat or highchair either. The glasses of water had no ice in them. We asked for "iced water", the hostess came with 1 cup and just placed it on the table and left. So overall, thankfully the food made up for the little negs. & surely will try them out again.
(4)
Tammy M.
Four stars the family vote is. I ordered the warm goat arugula salad, it was just that and tomatoes. I didn't like the warm goat cheese, it tasted burnt and flavored with a seared oil of some kind. Okay will not visit again for any craving. Service here was really nice and comfy
(4)
Joy S.
If you are looking for solid Italian food this place delivers. The service is fast the food was delish done deal.
(4)
Rhonda D.
Based on ratings in Yelp and a book - Kaua'i Underground, we went there for dinner. Two of us had the house pasta with meat sauce - it was wonderful! One had chicken parm who rated it wonderful. The other had fettuccini Alfredo and it, too, got a wonderful. We had fabulous appetizer - truffle, parmesan French fries. The portions are big (two of the four of us took left overs with us). We liked it so well, we went back another day for lunch. They offer a "Mix 'n Match." You can get any two items on the list for $9.95 - great deal. My husband had house pasta (1/2 order which is a large serving) and a salad. Our server, Gabe (dinner) was great and our server for lunch (didn't get her name) was great. Our lunch server was a native of Kaua'i who had recently gotten married; we had a nice conversation about places to visit, etc. If you like Italian food - this is a great find!!
(5)
Kyle M.
I'm throwin' this one in the 3-to-4 range, but settling with the 3 based on price. You're going to end up spending a pretty penny here for the quality of your meal. The calamari appetizer is outstanding. The eggplant parmesan is kinda blah. I'd recommend it if you're eating family style.
(3)
Ben O.
TL; DR: Very good pasta dishes. A worthy change-up from Hawaiian seafood. I had the house pasta with meat sauce (marinara with beef & mushrooms) and added some grilled shrimp. Caesar salad to start. Glass of (red) zinfandel. Girlfriend had the Pesto. Everything was really good. Not mind-blowing, but I was very pleased with the meal and thought it was a good value, especially considering how expensive Kauai can be. Parking lot is tiny. Main dining room is a little dated and was probably awesome 20 years ago. Staff is super friendly, knowledgeable, and appropriately attentive.
(4)
Mariah S.
I love love pasta, and kauai pasta was so good, everyone in The group from meat eaters to vegans loved this place! Great service and awesome food. Will for sure return on my next trip to kauai
(5)
Carole R.
Highly recommend this place. Loved the lunch special where you can pick 2 dishes! Also had a side order of their fries made w/ truffle oil and several dipping sauces ...made me feel like I was in France or Belgium!! Very delish!!! Cream of asparagus soup was excellent, too!
Don't let appearances fool you, this restaurant is outstanding. The calamari appetizer was the best we ever had. I had the butternut squash ravioli, to die for. My wife had the pesto pasta, if you like garlic, don't miss this dish. Service was good and friendly. You do have to ask for bread (its garlic bread).
(5)
Tom T.
brutal service...waitress talked to everyone but the customers...pasta was under cooked spahgetti sauce was straght out of a senior citizens home, cock roach on wall and dirty wine glass. calamari very chewey but sauce was good, pesto sauce was also good. did I mention service was terrible
(1)
John M.
Make reservations for dinner. It can be very busy during the summer and on weekends. Even with reservations you may still have to wait a bit. (Remember, island time.) But once we were seated they worked hard to apologize and make up for the wait and make us comfortable. The server gave great recommendations and the food was everything it's touted to be. They have a remarkable wine (and bar) list. The menu demonstrates the chef's creativity with typical Italian fare with a local Kauai flair. I had the homemade (spinich ricotta) ravioli. It was rich and delicious. Kauai Pasta was recommended to me by a local as one of the best in Kapa'a and I can see why. The only drawbacks I can state are: busy restaurant, limited parking and not the greatest ambience (kinda plain). But... the food and service shined!!!
(4)
Genny H.
"We came to this restaurant on advice from Yelp and our hotel front desk. The food was wonderful and the staff very friendly and efficient. We liked it so much we came back again the night before we had to leave. Both nights we had the Brursseta (sp) every thing about it was FRESH. The Butternut Squash Ravioli is fabulous but rich so the appetizer portion is perfect. Great Spinach Salad and the Chicken Marsala was a dream.
(4)
M W.
This place is great! The only trick is finding it on the main road hidden behind the Taco Bell. We both had the pasta lunch special ($9.95 including pasta a side @ a drink). The service was friendly & this is easily the best deal on Kauai. You will be sorry if you miss this one!
(5)
Alexis S.
The food here was amazing. We went here twice while in town. We tried the pasta marinara and the pesto pasta. For dessert we had cheesecake and pot de creme. All of it was good. Great prices, too, for what we got. The only downside is that we had to wait a bit for a table. I recommend getting there early or waiting until eight PM.
(5)
Rachel A.
Drinks were a little spendy, but done well. Our bartender was fantastic, great service, drink recommendations and gave us some wonderful suggestions for the area. Besides drinks, we just got their truffle parmesan fries which came with 4 sides - all homemade. A ketchup, alfredo (delicious with fries), ranch and roasted red pepper compote. They were all delicious. The ketchup was more on the side of marinara, but it was still tasty.
(4)
Mihir M.
Service was good, though we asked to be moved from the bar area due to it being colder there. Emily & Katie provided good service. Between 3 of us, the fettuccine alfredo, greek pasta, kailani farm field greens, virgin pina colada & virgin mojito were more than enough. The food was good.
(4)
Frederick S.
As a chef and restaurant owner, here's my opinion: this is a failed attempt at fine dining. The estimate of our wait for a table was off by 30 minutes, the table wasn't set the same for each diner, the menus needed to be reprinted and were water-stained, the nightly features weren't offered until requested, the waitstaff seemed more interested in hugging locals than taking care of all the guests, our waitress couldn't open the wine, the busboy couldn't water or clear properly, my food was overly salty, my wife's was under-seasoned, there was no "thank you, please, sorry, or good-bye. I would have offered this information as constructive criticism, but got the feeling that no-one would care.
(2)
Barbara N.
Calamari & artichoke bruschetta was plentiful. Calamari was crisp & delicious. We were the 1st ones in there but was ignored until we called the waitress. Wait staff could use some customer service education, otherwise food is good.
(4)
greg c.
We have eaten here for the last two years now. And we have not been disappointed yet. They are very friendly and they have wonderful food! It's just a little place right next to taco bell. You have to try the parmesan fries, they are to die for!
(5)
Sandy D.
Read the reviews and decided to come here for dinner with my 8 year old and 3 year old. We were greeted right away and chose a booth in the corner. The hostess brought a water cup for my son along with crayons and the child's menu. We ordered the keiki pizza $6 (for two triangular pieces of foccacia bread with some sauce and cheese) keiki pasta with meat sauce (more sauce than pasta) $8 for this tiny bowl. I had the eggplant parmesan and husband had the lasagna. We ordered the calamari appetizer which was okay. It was a little tough and chewy and covered, but the kids were hungry and ate it up. That took about 10 minutes to come out. My son was hungry and getting grumpy. The food does not come out fast here and it wasn't that busy. Another 20 minutes later only the lasagna and keiki pizza came out. My son enjoyed his pizza. The lasagna was okay... said my husband, but my eggplant parmesan had absolutely no taste like another reviewer mentioned. My daughter's pasta was flooded with meat sauce and barely any pasta so she had to eat the bread that came with my meal. My husband's sauce is better. Service: the hostess was nice, but I noticed that she gave bread to another table seated next to us with children and they received their food right after us and they were seated after our appetizer. We didn't get any bread. Our waitress was polite, and came back to check on us, but when you have to wait a long time for food, it doesn't help. How long does it take to pour some meat sauce over pasta that's already been cooked? Or to heat up some cheese on a bread? Definitely not on my place of return list.
(2)
Alicia L.
We had a fantastic, family friendly meal. Great food, great service (thank you katie), reasonably priced for Kauai. The ambiance is lacking but the food and service make up for it! Try the butternut squash ravioli with bacon and candied pecans, yum!!!
(4)
Max P.
We were in Kauai for a week, and we have been eating Hawaiian food non stop. So, we decided it would be nice to get some good Italian food. O boy, this place was poppin'! Be prepare to wait! It's not a big restaurant but it is nicely decorated. We decided to order some take out instead of waiting for a table. I ordered the chicken parmigiana with garlic bread and it was delicious! This is definitely a great place to eat when you are not in the mood for Hawaiian BBQ food.
(4)
Becky R.
My family and I ate at Kauai Pasta after 5 days on the island full of several just okay or terrible meals. Kauai Pasta was such an awesome find. The servers were attentive, knowledgable and sooo kind. The staff accommodated our party of ten so quickly and were extremely warm towards us; it is a small restaurant and i know it's not easy to make room for 10 tourists with little notice. The pesto pasta was the best thing at our table fore sure! So fresh and delicious! The mussels and capellini were killer as well. They also have a fantastic wine list. Thank you Kauai Pasta for such a great night :)
(5)
Chad F.
Wow, this place has some great dishes. We started out with a coconut basil mojito (good but not overly sweet) and then an asian salad with kukui nut vinegarette and fresh ono (delicious). Next I had the marinara pasta (nice) and my wife the Greek pasta (super nice). I would recommend the Greek pasta as it was very flavorful and unique. Then we brought home the banana bread pudding and it was also fantastic. The garlic bread is good and the service was great. The only bad thing is it gets busy early here so plan accordingly by making reservations or coming early.
Decent italian food, pizzas are by far the best thing going. Good break from island food.
(3)
Steven O.
Delicious marinara sauce, tomato bruchetta, and butternut squash ravioli.
(4)
David T.
After a day and a half of bad food, was so pleased with the food here. Everything was fresh and my linguini with clams was very good.
(4)
John G.
Very good for the whole family. Must get dessert.
(4)
Snehal S.
Ultimate place to eat! The chef is SUPER! We were able to get Jain food as he creatively made dishes for us from scratch and they were so delicious! To get vegetarian food without any kind of root vegetables is amazing! The chef took time out of his busy schedule ...and rest of the staff were amazingly friendly and helpful! They really treated us royally!
(5)
Melanie H.
I am craving Italian food right now and ALL I WANT IS KAUAI PASTA!!!!!!! It doesn't look like much when you first pull up but, OH MY GOD everything was so good! From the cocktails to the waitress! We ordered the calamari...EPIC....I had the Fresh Clam Linguine....EPIC... I have never had such FRESH TASTING clams before..my husband ordered the veal marsala unfortunately they were out of veal so he got the chicken but still it was....EPIC...if you are looking for some yummy Italian food, go to Kauai Pasta!!!!!!! You will not be disappointed!
(5)
Dana P.
Came here for lunch last week while on vacation. Was a bit alarmed because NO ONE else was in the restaurant, but I'm glad that I stopped in. It's not the best that I have had by any means, but it's a solid Italian meal that was worth what I paid. My mom had the lasagna with meat sauce, my boyfriend had a chicken pesto panini, and I had the pesto pasta. While all were good, my mother's lasagna was the best of the three dishes. Made me wish that I had ordered that instead! My pesto pasta, while good, was not pesto as I was used to it (as pointed out by another Yelper). I also prefer a creamier pesto, and have never really had one that did not seem to be a paste. Server was nice and attentive, though I am not sure how he couldn't be as we were the only customers at the time. Would return when Kauai again.
(4)
Mike F.
Good service. Clean atmosphere. Large portions. Food was good.
(4)
William E.
Ate here for lunch. Spinach was bitter (panini and artichoke dip). Way too much mozzarella (artichoke dip and lasagna). Garlic bread was rubbery. Ginger ale homemade but not gingery. Not sure what all the hype is about.
(2)
WildAngel S.
We ate here twice during our trip, once for dinner and again for lunch. Ordered the house pasta with meat sauce. The meat sauce is outstanding!!! You get a good size portion at a decent price. When we went back for lunch we ordered the truffle parmesan fries. The best fries I ever ate!!!! Wonderful twist on a standard. The staff was great both times, very friendly and attentive.
(5)
Ryan D.
This place is awesome! After trying Cafe Portofino next to Dukes, I was a little bummed about Italian food available in Kauai. After trying Kauai Pasta, I am a firm believer that Kauai does offer some quality Italian food! We had the fetticinni alfredo with chicken, and the chicken parmesan. Both were awesome. My salad and bread were both awesome too! My son had a pasta dish off the kids menu and went to town on it...all over his face! We were glad to find this place on our last night in Kauai!
(4)
Allison L.
Really a find! We all really enjoyed the food - no misses here. The dishes were fresh and had large portions. Would highly recommend.
(4)
Chuck M.
Great menu. LARGE portions. Only downside.......VERY salty.....which takes away from would be a VERY flavorful meal. We'll give it another try but will question the salt issue before ordering.
(3)
Carolyn B.
I stopped in this place not expecting much except some decent Italian food and was blown away. The food here was exceptionally good. After speaking with the waitress we found that the owner and current chefs are former chefs that defected from Roy's Hawaiian Restaurant in Poipu. You can definitely tell by the originality in the menu that it is not an ordinary pasta place. Don't let the decor deceive you. We went to the one in Kapaa. There is also one in Lihue that is under the same ownership. I would go back here in a heartbeat.
(4)
No B.
Creative, non traditional Italianate dishes. The food is excellent and the menu is fairly extensive, however don't expect flavors like Nonna used to make. Do expect a really good meal. Everything is good, the salads and pasta are huge and the pizzettas a perfect for one person with a good appetite. The wine list (by the bottle and/or a glass) could be more interesting. Food service is average and friendly. Drink service can be a bit slow. Kauai Pasta place is popular with visitors and island residents alike so a short wait may occur during peak dining hours. Open for lunch too!
(4)
panda m.
Super excellent. Our waiter was totally knowledgeable on gluten-free menu items and happy to accomodate special requests. Food was excellent including local island foods. We visited Kauai Pasta several times for dinner.
(5)
Francine N.
AMAZING FOOD!!! Everything on the menu is Great!! Service is great!!!
(5)
Maggie H.
Stopped here on our way back from hiking the Pihea trail in Waimea - they did not look askance at our sartorial condition which was appreciated given how tired and hungry we were. The space is small and intimate. The food was all good - not great - put together attractively. We started with Calamari which had a nice light breading, though the meat itself was a little tough on some pieces. The kids meals were typical, the adult portions are HUGE so plan to share - one portion can easily feed two, three if you also share a salad and appetizer. I would go back, though not after exploring more...
(3)
Nathan V.
The locals get it: this place is good. Located in a strip mall next to Taco Bell, you would never guess by driving by that the food is so solid. We had an antipasti plate that came with fresh mozzarella, manchego, fresh tomatoes and grilled asparagus... My friend had Pesto and I had just a simple Spaghetti with pomodoro sauce (plus Chicken) and both were really good. All together the bill was around $40. Exactly the carb load we needed from hiking all afternoon. There's also take out. Check them out.
(4)
pete h.
This place is decent, surely it's not the best pasta place you'll ever eat at but it's a nice break if all you've been having is meat/rice and mac salad. The place is pretty busy, it's located in a strip mall behind the main street so it can be easily missed. In fact we drove right by it and had to turn around to look for it again the first time we visited. The pasta included garlic toast which was a nice touch. I ordered the spaghetti with meatballs which was quite good and our friend ordered the chicken parmigiana which he said was very good. We had to get take out because the place was so busy!
(3)
Thelma Lee G.
We went to this place three times during our stay with three different sets of friends. All were happy to very happy. I liked the service (we had Justin or Jason...can't remember...sorry, J!). The caprese was among the best we had ever had. Really excellent with reduced balsamic. The crab cakes were very good. The bruschetta was good but it's only bread and tomatoes after all.... They use locally grown produce...all the other tomatoes we had on the trip were under-ripe, hot house specimens so this was impressive. The spinach salad was fantastic; my husband and others really liked it. Nicely balanced, with pears and candied pecans. The first night we were lucky enough to get a special ravioli dish. Ravioli is not on the regular menu, unfortunately. But the Greek pasta was highly flavorful, the pesto was good (not my favorite..I like it a little creamier but others liked it), and the pomodoro...well, I don't know what it's supposed to be like, but this rendition was really good. Great ingredients. The only problem is how to make those tomatoes evenly disperse with the capellini (can't be done....). I do agree that the marinara needs work! YES, too much oregano. Not fully flavored and very two dimensional (tomato sauce and oregano). Not worth ordering in my opinion. Okay, this isn't fair but...we got a complimentary tiramisu the last night and I didn't like it. Admittedly it isn't my favorite but this baby was soggy to the point of watery! We would go back, try and get specials, avoid the marinara and dessert (usually too full anyway), and just enjoy the happiness of the place.
(4)
gary s.
We have come to Kauai every year for 28 years. We have passed by this place for I don't know how long. We looked at yelp and saw great reviews so away we went. We ate here twice in a week. It was great! I should give 5 stars.......I am not sure why I'm not??
(4)
S L.
Great service and great food!! The yummiest salad: Baby spinach with feta cheese and candied pecans drizzled with raspberry vinaigrette. Oh yea and sliced pear! It just all goes so well. You should also try the fried calamari. Its not what you think and its not the salt and peppered calamari that you would expect. The whole fillet is fried and the battered is not too thick but just enough where it gives flavor. Must try! Great service is rare and this place has it.
(5)
Gina W.
We went here after many locals and personal friends recommended it. It was good... Not OMG wow like many said. But then again I'm married to a french chef. But it was good. Prices are reasonable, between $10-15 for pasta, the pasta is store bought but sauces are made in house. Definatly worth it if u are craving pasta. The service kinda stinks... Just un responsive, in a hurry, but friendly. There tiramasu cheesecake is really really good! Worth it so save room. The pesto pasta with shrimp was good but needed salt. The house pasta my hubby got was ok, but I don't care for red sauce. He said it's acceptable. The crabless crab cakes were good... But crabless. The caprese was good didn't need any salt but I asked for pepper... Had the service been better I woukd have rated 3.5/4
(3)
Alison H.
Kauai Pasta: 4 stars for Kauai pasta, 3 stars if you compare it to all the pasta I've ever eaten in other places. Garlic bread was great, the Caesar salad has too much dressing just like it does at a lot of places (and about a hundred croutons in mine), and I got the sampler pasta with alfredo, marinara, and pesto. The pesto was actually very good, 4-star worthy, but the marinara I didn't like at all (my plate at the end of the meal was like one red stripe leftover). It was heavy on the oregano. If you like marinara like that, then go for it. I like marinara that's sweeter with the plummier tomatoes. My husband got the pomodoro with shrimp. This dish was very uncool because it was not actually a pomodoro sauce. It would have been great if they were just advertising it as garlic, oil, tomato, and a bit of basil on top of pasta, but they clearly specified pomodoro, and in case you were wondering what the difference is between marinara and pomodoro, pomodoro is supposed to be less chunky. Well, this was not tomato sauce at all, it was just pieces of tomato on pasta. Unfortunate because my husband doesn't like tomato. I let him steal some of the marinara I had so that he wouldn't just be eating plain pasta. Maybe I couldn't have told you that detail about pomodoro sauce before I just Googled it, but I knew it was supposed to be sauce, and this restaurant is a fairly upscale Italian place so they should know that too. On the up-side, when my husband asked the waitress about an asparagus pesto and what that was like, she came back a minute later with a little ramikin of the sauce for him to try. That's awesome! I've been to a lot of restaurants and never gotten a sauce sample that way. Strangely enough our waitress did not seem that attentive otherwise and about 5 other waitstaff were helping her out most of the time. This place is fine for a nice Italian dinner but it is not great.
(3)
aloha-ellen m.
Wow... although the comments about the ambiance ate correct... the food was excellent. I had the pesto grilled chicken and my husband had the pasta sampler with meatballs, and we both had the green side salad. Tender chicken, great Italian meatballs, and perfect pasta. The balsamic vinegrette was just the slightest bit sweet. Nothing bad to say at all.
(4)
Kimber C.
finally! order a full salad, get a half size pasta! after ordering our an app and a salad I inquired about simply getting a half size portion of my favorite pasta. Said to charge me whatever, but I just can't eat it all. It was my lucky day (and on my birthday! what are the odds?). The kapa'a location was now selling half sizes. prosecco. bruschetta. caesar. alfredo. and a special liqueured home-made chocolate ice cream. fantastic every time. and I leave full, every time.
(5)
Aaron B.
Went there for lunch on my last day in Kauai. Lunch is served in the bar/lounge area. Great atmosphere, the food was super yummy. I had their $10 lunch pick two, a Caeser Salad and the House Pasta. Top if off with a delicious Bloody Mary and you got yourself the perfect lunch! Great service as well :)
(5)
Janet P.
a MUST when in Kauai
(5)
Duke N.
I've been to the Kapaa restaurant twice for lunch and once for dinner. The service was consistently pleasant each time. I prefer the Kapaa location better than Lihue for both the food and the service, but the separate bar and lounge area is an added bonus. The truffle fries are always a winner with 4 dipping sauces. After a very bad experience at another popular restaurant left us searching for another place to dine, Kauai Pasta turned a disappointing night into a very pleasant experience. The server was very helpful in making recommendations from the menu and was very attentive. They even offer crayons and coloring sheets to keep the little ones entertained. The grilled shrimp with pesto pasta was my dinner that night but I also enjoy their chicken parmesan. They are always my go-to dishes, but I also like their selection of specials that changes nightly. For dessert the chocolate creme brulee is also very nice. What would have been a 4 star rating became a 5 star rating because Kauai Pasta left us feeling great!
(5)
LuckieMaounds P.
Pesto sauce was really fantastic, as was service. So why two stars? Started with caesar salad which had too much dressing (resulting in limp leaves and soggy croutons - wonder how long this was sitting on the counter in the kitchen before I ordered it?) The wine list was short and had too many Santa Barbara selections on it (six?) and only one French, and just a couple Greek and Italian. Pizza size is not indicated on the menu; when it came to the table it was about an inch larger than a Lean Cuisine pizza and had no red sauce (this was not specified on the menu and was not considered a "white" or otherwise pizza). I couldn't decide between Alfredo or pesto. Luckily, there is a "sampler" dish that serves both of those plus marinara. Unfortunately, they give you one part white sauce, one part green, and two parts red sauce. The green was definetly the best, made with local basil, italian parsley, and of course plenty of pine nuts. This dish is spaghetti which was kind of lame as I didn't care to mix my red with my white nor my red with my green sauces, but it would inadvertently happen due to the length of the pasta. Next time I come here, I will order the pesto alone. Maybe add some grilled shrimp to it. And skip the salad.
(2)
Amanda S.
I had the eggplant parmesan with the alfredo pasta on the side. Absolutely amazing! My husband had never tried eggplant before and tried mine- he liked my dish more than his. He got the House Pasta which was very flavorful. The spinach ms artichoke dip was fabulous! Very good Italian food if you need a break from all the Hawaiin cuisine! You will not be disappointed with this place!
(5)
J F.
Delicious! Best meal we have had out while here. Lasagna was great.. alot of ricotta but easy for me to take some out. Meat sauce was divine. We started with bruscetta and it was yummo! My husband didn't care for his Alfredo but thought the chicken and pesto was good. Minestrone was very good and entree salad looked great. Pizza also got good reviews, extra thin crust. My daughter had butter noodles and she devoured them. Great prices for what you get and great selections for adults and kids. Sit in the middle room if you can, front room very dark and bar looked nice, but was super cold after dark. Wish we had this place in our town!!
(5)
Toni F.
We went to Kauai Pasta after reading all the reviews. We had kind of had our fill of fish tacos and decided to try something different. The restaurant in Kapaa was very hard to find based on the google map shown on the website, but we finally located it. Staff was very friendly, and the food was pretty good, especially considering there is no large Italian population on Kauai (I was probably one of the few Italians on the island). The crispy calamari lived up to its reputation - it was very good,and the pastas in our other dishes were cooked al dente. My boyfriend had the pasta of the day which was some kind of sausage pasta that was very rich, almost like a puttanesca but richer, and I had the white clam pasta. It was very okay, but needed more garlic. I wish we had been served bread to sop up some of the sauce. The salads that other tables had ordered look very fresh and good. The ambiance is, shall we say, rustic, and except for a small cockaroach that made its way across our table at the end of our meal, was adequate. We mentioned the cockaroach to our waitress and she said the road work they were doing outside the restaurant was uncovering a lot of bugs. I don't freak out at small bugs but it was something we hadn't ordered....
(3)
Brian L.
We ended up having dinner at this spot on a recommendation from a time share presenter. If you drive by the restaurant, you might not even notice it as there is not a huge, lit sign on the outside. It's a very hidden place but pretty good. We shared a spinach salad and it was a very generous portion. Tasty, but a bit too much dressing on it. I loved the huge chunks of cheese though!. I had the pasta trio and my GF had the fettuchine alrfredo. Large portions as well and great flavor as well. The pesto is a bit oily but the cream sauce is right on. The atmosphere was great too. Not too quiet, not too loud, great service, attentive, and responsive. Parking is a bit sketchy and tough to make turns on the busy road. The pricing is a bit high for a small pasta restaurant but that could be due to being on an island.
(3)
Carlo X.
I'm a big fan of osso buco and when I saw this pork version on the menu I had to go for it. The pork was tender and slid off the bone. Good balance of flavor and texture and liked the mashed potatoes and asparagus the came with it. The wine could have been better but overall good experience and would definitely go back.
(4)
Melissa E.
Went here twice during our 7 day vacation for dinner...got there at 5:15pm no wait. I ordered Greek pasta and my husband ordered the pesto pasta, we both loved our dishes...so filling and basically a flavor explosion...we will miss you Kauai Pasta until our next visit!
(5)
Tiffany B.
kauai pasta LOUNGE is pretty cool. We are regulars there! perfect pau hana drink spot. it's probably one of the only places that will serve food till midnight, till 1am on weekends, which is very rare here on kauai! i am a fan of their ginger kamakazi maritinis. and any where that serves a girl EDMEADES with just one glass is an instant fav! foods good, calamari and baked potato pizza.... BF loves the filet mignon loco moco. one thing i notice about Kauai pasta is QUALITY! prices are reasonable
(4)
Mary O.
Servers were very friendly. The food was excellent. Had bruschetta, it was great, it had a nice fresh balsamic drizzle. I had the Eggplant Parmesan which was very good and the Alfredo sauce on the pasta- which was out of this world! My boyfriend had the lasagna which was also good. The Ghiradelli chocolate desert was also amazing! Note- it was very crowded on Friday night at 9pm but the wait was only 20 minutes.
(5)
Valerie R.
So let me say that the food is delicious. The warm goat cheese and arugula salad with in house made raspberry vinaigrette. I order this every single time I go. I am a member of the clean plate club. I have them add chicken breast which is perfectly cooked- moist and not dry with just the right amount of char from the grill. The little pan seared goat cheese balls must come from heaven and paired with the local tomato and greens. Yum! They offer brown rice pasta- which i appreciate. The pesto is good as well...a mac nut pesto. My favorite is the Greek Pasta. My boyfriend loves their Rib eye and in house made sausage. Ok SO why not 5 stars? Service is spotty, I've had really great experiences there and I've also walked out. Kinda like I'm so pissed it took forever to get greeted and flag down someone to take my order then it takes forever but when I taste the food...I forgive them:) I consider myself a regular. The pros out weigh the cons. I'm a picky eater but I tip well being a bartender. 5 stars food. 3-4 star service. I kinda know which waiters to avoid.
(4)
Brianna P.
Great food and great service... Amazing food with high end resteraunt quality.. - the high end resteraunt price. 50$ for 2 main entered, salad and appetizer!! A must go in Kauai
(5)
Phx A.
Pretty par for italian places. Ordered fettucine alfredo ($12) and eggplant parmesian ($16). Fettucine needed more flavoring, was pretty bland. I heard the eggplant was better.
(3)
Mikala S.
I'm not a huge pasta fan but I liked Kauai Pasta...we were there about a year ago and liked enough we went there a second time during our one-week stay. They had a great beer selection, which was a big plus for me. Prices were moderate and service was very good.
(4)
lonni f.
Excellent food and very friendly & prompt service.
(4)
Hunter O.
a great on island friend brought us here one night for dinner. the service was great we sat in the back were the bar is.. the gal was super nice. the flavor of my meal was real good. but my meat was over cooked a bit. it was still very taste and i went a head and ate it with out complaint. the portions are huge at this place the wife and kiddo would have had a ton of left overs if they would have both spilled them while trying to fill the to go boxes at the same excate time..yep yep.. not a bad place at all i would return soon if i lived here. they also have a super comfy couch in the bar to sit and chill out and have drinks on.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Tiffany T.
If we had not had so many awful dining experiences on Kauai I would probably give this place 3 stars. It bumps up to 4 because we all enjoyed our food and the "special" drinks they made were quite good. The down side is that drinks seemed to take 30 minutes to get to the table from the time you ordered. I had Eggplant Parm with meat sauce pasta. The meat sauce was pretty heavy on the fennel. I liked it, but I can imagine some folks might find it overwhelming. The eggplant was nicely fried and the batter stayed on. I just think of it as more cheesy than what I got here. Seeing as how I was on beach/bathing suit vacation the omission of the extra cheese was not the end of the world. My hubby got spaghetti and meatballs and was happy with 3 meatballs. Step daughter had Greek Pasta, and she ate the whole plate. I do think it would be better with either a linguini or an angel hair pasta. Nothing really sticks to spaghetti. We did not ask to substitute pastas and the option was never offered. Kids had kid pizza and buttered noodles. They cleaned their plates. We had Spinach Artichoke Appetizer. It was heavy on the cheese and light on the spinach and came with what tasted like pizza dough bread sticks. They were nice and chewy and held up well to the dip. It was a bit mundane but tasty all the same. We tried their coconut mojito thing and a rosemary margarita. Both were interesting, not too sweet and very well done. They were by far the best "house special" drinks we had on our trip. We would definitely eat here again.
(4)Anand S.
Not too good for Vegetarians. We tried 2 different dishes (Eggplant Parmesan) and Pesto Pasta, both were blend. And pasta's were little bit raw.
(2)F N.
The only normal food we could find on the whole island of Kauai. Mediocre at best. Service also is mediocre and so is the ambience.
(3)Ali M.
What great service! Ordered their special - filet mignon with mushroom risotto. When the steak arrived cold the second time, they realized the sous vide followed by refrigeration method would never produce medium rare to my satisfaction, so I got offered a ribeye substitute. Made this ribeye lover happy! Everyone else in our party of 6 was happy with their dishes.
(4)La E.
Used to enjoy eating at Kauai Pasta during my high school days, and got excited when they started having lunch specials for the past couple years. However, on my last visit there this month with my family, I experienced a severe stomach ache after eating the pesto, which lasted for a couple of hours and frequent trips to the toilet. I was the only one who ate the pesto, while everyone else had meat sauce pastas or paninis, so it may just be that they need to change their mac nut pesto recipe. My aunty had also said she could not stop throwing up after her last experience eating the pesto pasta, which was about a week before we had gone to Kauai Pasta. For the health and safety of your customers, please do something about the cream sauce recipes. Everything else, and service was excellent.
(2)Joe N.
I am giving one star because the server was great! With that said the food is terrible!! I read the other reviews and thought it was worth a try... I'm guessing this is the only Italian food on the island if people think this is the best... My meal was Swimming in oil so bad I couldn't finish. The appetizer was ok... My girlfriend said the only highlight were the shrimp, the rest of it was tasteless... Maybe it's was an off night for the cooking staff... Maybe you will have better luck than we did... TO MAKE IT WORSE WE BOTH R SICK!! "Pepto" is recommended after your meal if you dare to try their Pesto!!
(1)Ian H.
After a couple of bad experiences at local restaurants we were starving and decided to hit this little spot next to a Taco Bell in Kapaa. So glad we did! We arrived after the lunch crowd with a couple hungry teenagers and a three-year old, and the staff welcomed us and took us to a larger table in the front of the restaurant. The artwork is simple but beautiful and the whole place was very clean. The lunch special is a "you pick two" for $10, and there are a lot of options to choose from. The truffle fries are not to be missed and all their panini sandwiches are great. I had the crab cakes and a warm goat cheese w/arugula salad; all excellent! They make all their sauces and my son gave two thumbs up to the caesar salad and fettucine alfredo. This may be a four-star somewhere else but for my family looking for some good food after a couple disappointments it was amazing. We will definitely make the trip up here next time we're in Kauai.
(5)cindy b.
Food is usually very good. We went there last week for the rib eye. I asked for it to be cooked medium, but came out very rare? Ok, I got a Coffee with no whip, but it came with whip cream? The meal cost us $115.00 for two people. If we're going to pay this money, they need to get it right? So, I probably won't go often anymore. The food is good. My husbands Greek pasta had zero flavor? He liked it, but said, "next time he will have the pesto pasta. It has more flavor." Sometimes the food is on it, and sometimes it's ok? But it is usually a good choice?
(3)Vanessa Miracle B.
Pesto pasta's deliciouuuus + the calamari (:
(4)Nina B.
We came here as tourists, but made sure we came back once we moved to Kauai. Pizza is fresh and thin crust and better than Costco according to my hubby. I enjoyed the pasta in meat sauce, tasty and filling. Bread with butter was served. I started with a side Ceasar salad, homemade dressing and fresh Romaine. The go to place for Italian on Kauai.
(4)Joanna R.
Not impressed. I tried the shrimp alfredo and the shrimp (1 star)was slightly overcooked and underseasoned. The alfredo sauce was up to par but not worth bragging about. (3 stars)I had a side of marinara meat sauce and it was nothing special (2 stars) ..the calamari on the other hand was 4.5 stars. It was great!
(3)Anne S.
Kauai pasta rocks! We loved the truffle Parmesan fries and the house dipping sauces. The gluten free pizza crust was delicious. I had the prosciutto fig pizza. Amazing. Everyone was happy with their food. Service was great, too.
(5)Mussaab H.
Didn't think I'd be going to this place at all on my visit let alone going twice. But twice I went and both times I enjoyed. Their menu isn't extensive but everything on there is delicious. They are open late and we're perfect for our first spot after our long flight. The staff is really nice and really take care of tourists. Their sauces were solid and their pasta didn't leave me wanting. Their truffle fries with the 4 sauces didn't spiced things up. When I go back to kauai you better believe this place will be on my list.
(4)Marsh M.
On an tourism driven island full of high priced schtick and run by howlies, it is rare to find a genuinely excellent place that has great food and reasonable prices This place isn't a typical Kauai establishment! Try the ribeye, pesto grilled chicken with fettucini, or the butternut squash ravioli. Best Italian joint on the island!
(5)Elizabeth M.
Cute little restaurant with good food. The service was quick and friendly as soon as we walked in. We were caught in the rain and so my husband and I snuck in here for a bit of a romantic dinner. I indulged in the butternut squash ravioli with bacon and candied pecans - DELICIOUS. I couldn't get enough. I ordered just the appetizer portion and I was glad I did otherwise I would've made myself sick by eating it all!
(4)Sunil S.
Kids enjoyed their pasta; my Greek pasta was really tasty and the wife was impressed with their gluten free lasagna! Very friendly staff, and kids were welcomed!
(5)Brandon S.
Great little romantic Italian restaurant, with the best juicy chicken fettuccine Alfredo I've ever had. The cheese sticks are wonderful too as a starter. Clean and service is great. Highly recommend!
(5)rani s.
Loved the Greek pasta and the salads. Kids menu left a lot to be desired. We don't usually order off kids menus but thought we'd try, bad idea. Otherwise, great service and yummy grown up food,
(4)angela b.
W really enjoyed the food. Basil was fresh and delicious. The meatballs were exceptional. Great service!
(5)Anna Y.
My first visit here, I was not impressed and thought everything was overpriced. My second visit, I really like this place and want to go back soon so that I can try the calamari. This second visit, we split the truffle fries, $7, but we had some new and some old menus. Mine said $6, and others said $7. It came with 4 dipping sauces and were perfectly crisp and delicious. If not for eating with strangers, I would have finished off the plate myself. I had the eggplant parmigiana, which was HUGE. Three huge slices of eggplant and enough pasta for two. We also had the chicken parmigiana which had one piece of chicken and was well made. My only complaint is that we both had the meat sauce and the sauce had an overabundance of a certain herb that we couldn't quite figure out. It consumed the dish and was the only drawback. Service is good, definitely will return. Parking is awful though, the lot is a dead end so be careful when backing up.
(4)Scott B.
If this were Orange County, this would be a 3 star, but in Kauai, you have to be lenient. You can pay $100 a head and have a 5 star meal, but after that, it is usually slim pickings. We were told about this place, yelped it, and thought, why not? We chose the Kapa'a version, just to get away from Lihue, and to take a look at the town. The location is literally next to a Taco Bell, and the interior modest at best, but the food does shine. We had crab cakes (good, not great), bruschetta (very good) spaghetti and balls, steak, chicken pesto (excellent) and a well priced wine. Wanted the fried calamari, but the fryer was broken and it was taking 2 weeks to find a replacement (welcome to Kauai). Less the wine less than $180 for a large group of 5...compared to the hotel still about 20% less for comparable quality. On a side note, we asked about the nice looking resort across from the restaurant, the Waipouli Resort, and every server, said the same thing, that it was "haunted" because it was built on an ancient cemetery. We had to go and ask, and the lady at the lobby said, "every hotel on this island is built on some ancient Hawaii'n bones"...excellent retort.
(4)John R.
Visited the Kapaa location Friday May 23. 2014. We were worried about getting a table without a reservation. No worries there, as only one other table was occupied at 5:30 pm. Food was very good, but do not believe the management reply that soon they will be serving bread before the meal, like most Italian restaurants. We received three tiny pieces WITH the meal.
(4)D L.
So Kauai Pasta KAPAA wants to know what their hostesses do that is "terrible?" My complaint was stated clearly in my first review - unless you don't think it's terrible for a customer to call for takeout, be asked to hold for a couple of minutes before they can take your order, be forgotten about on hold for FIFTEEN MINUTES and then when I hang up and try to call back because I've obviously been forgotten about (and can't waste my cell minutes while your staff gabs at each other) the phone is left off the hook for the next 30 minutes. Again, this last time was at 5pm and I know your phone isn't ringing crazy enough to prevent me from getting through on speed dial. And this isn't the first time I've been forgotten about on hold. And being forgotten about on hold has nothing to do with not being able to get through because you're having phone problems. This is a "user" error. I won't go into other terrible practices by your hostesses because it looks like they're pretty well covered in other people's reviews here on Yelp. It's obvious your (non-wait)staff needs some schooling in professionalism and customer service. Badly. (And as someone else mentioned, if you're in the mood for the food but not the crappy service and don't mind driving a little further to Lihue, try the Kauai Pasta there (near Hilo Hattie's) - never had problems with them like I have at the Kapaa one)
(2)Sundee C.
I loved the lunch special! The server was easy to talk to, as we got creative with our sauces:) The brown rice pasta was tender and delicious. High quality salad greens. The sausage was spiced just right and we even had fresh basil growing at our table.
(5)Cody K.
Truffle fries are awesome, spinach and caprese salads are also really good. Staff was nice and restaurant was clean.
(4)Simon A.
This place was terrific. We came for lunch and had a wonderful experience. The garlic and bacon green beans are AMAZING. Definitely order those. Their pesto made with macadamia nuts is very good. For our entrée we kept it original and had the lasagna with meat sauce. This meat sauce is no joke. I could have just ordered a big bowl of the meat sauce and been incredibly satisfied. That sauce on and around the lasagna was delicious. This portion is not for a single person. It was a large plate FULL of food. The prices are very reasonable. Compared to practically everywhere else on the island, I was very happy (I'm not cheap, but I won't spend $50 on a plate either). The service was fantastic. We had lunch in the bar and the bartender came over multiple times and was around the tables in general throughout most of the meal. A great highlight of this restaurant, is one of their beers. Visiting from Oregon, we enjoy our microbrews. My wife and I were on our honeymoon and right there on the tap is Mirror Pond Pale Ale from Bend, Oregon, where we met and eventually want to move back to. What a great touch of home added to a very tasty lunch. Well done Kauai Pasta!!!!!
(5)Meme M.
I used to LOVE this place, back when it was smaller and the husband/wife team ran the joint. The food was fresh, hot, and hit the mark ( the best pesto ever!) The service was equally as wonderful and attentive. But this is a thing of the past. We just ate there tonight and the server seemed bothered by us. When she took our order, she would just stare off toward the door like a puppy just wanting to run. It was the strangest thing... Hello? I'm right here!! Maybe I should have taken the hint and ran myself. Calamari: always excellent when crispy. The sauce is excellent as well. Salad: the salad had half a super thin tomato slice (not a tomato, but a slice), 3 cucumber slices, and 6 carrot shreds @ $7.95. The vinaigrette was an oily mess. Horrible. This USED to be my favorite salad, back when it wasn't just a mound of lettuce! Eggplant Parmesan: the WORST eggplant Parmesan we have ever tasted. Absolutely horrible. Alfredo with added chicken breast: the Alfredo was super rich, thick, and sticky. It was off the mark. The chicken breast was juicy & excellent however. The service: honestly, a joke. I asked for balsamic on the side and was served with balsamic dressing on it. Sent it back and asked for dry with plain balsamic on the side. When I received the new salad, I poured the balsamic on it only to find out it had oil in it again. i gave up and I didn't eat the salad. Never an offer of Parmesan, no asking if the new salad was ok, never checking back with us....Nothing. Well, she did ask where we're we're visiting from when she dropped my salad off. I guess that was a half hearted attempt of being friendly. Truthfully, she clearly did not care at all. I'd like to think it was an off night, but the last few times we have eaten there we have been disappointed. It's a shame, because as I stated before, we used to love this place and eat here all the time. If I had to chose, I'd go to the Lihue location. Smaller, but much more attentive and professional service and the food was much better ( the sampler appetizer is excellent, but they don't have the calamari or small pizzas).
(3)Elaine B.
We go to Kauai every year to visit family. Usually by the 3rd day of having local food (mainly rice dishes and saimin) I'll start craving for a good salad! The only option in the past was to go to some fancy hotel restaurants and order some outrageously expensive salads. Not anymore! When we visited this last time, my husband's friend recommended this place. We were hesitant to try it at first because seriously, Italian food on Kauai?! Well, what a nice surprise. The salads are fresh and flavorful, the pasta sauce was tasty, and the selections were pretty good. Combine all of that with a good price tag. I'll be back for sure!!!
(4)Emilee J.
After spending 2 weeks on the islands Kauai Pasta was a welcome change from grilled fish (although they do have that one the menu). We had the baked mozzarella, the clams and the fettucine with shrimp. The plan to "take some home" backfired big time because everything was delicious and the drinks were GREAT! Their spin on a dirty martini was is a must!
(5)Nick K.
I loved this place. Food was good. Went for lunch. Had an amazing waitress that told me all yhe nice places to go in kauai. Deffinently recommend
(5)Alyssa E.
Worst meal we had in Kauai. Service was terrible and the food overpriced. Atmosphere was weird and the decor off putting. I was expecting more since the reviews were so good. No one bothered to help us for a good 5 minutes when we entered, even though it didn't look super busy. A waiter looked at us, but didn't even say that the hostess would be over soon. When she did help us, she said the kitchen was behind and that it would be about 15 minutes, which was fine. She directed us to wait at the bar for a table. The bar was through the main room and then another weird middle room. Horrible horrible decor. It looked like a bunch of college guys' idea of a cool basement bar - awkward black leather couch and strange lighting. The bartender was slow and seemed unsure, but they had Blue Moon so that was good. After about 20 minutes, the hostess appeared. We made eye contact because I thought she was going to seat us, but then she walked away. She came back a second later and said, didn't we know we could eat at the bar? She thought that's what she told us to do since it was a wait for the table. Um okay no you didn't say that, but fine, to get served faster, we would eat here. We sat down at one of two unset tables. A waiter proceeded to set the table next to us with glasses and silverware but ignored us. After what seemed like forever, a waitress came over to ask if we needed menus. Uh yeah. Only then was the table set. We each ordered the prosciutto pizza and the calamari to share. The calamari was pretty good - too much batter, but the sauce and salad were nice. Then the waitress brought just one pizza. She didn't understand when I ordered "we'll each have the pizza" and thought we were sharing. Sigh. Instead of apologizing, she said that she could put in an order for the second pizza but it would take 20 minutes. We opted just to share. It was okay, but kinda salty. Could have used mozzarella instead of Parmesan. Also, the prosciutto was more like salty bacon than what you normally get on a prosciutto pizza. We were still hungry but didn't want to waste anymore time so we left and ordered another pizza at our hotel, which was much better and we didn't have to wait as long. Plus parking in the lot is a bitch.
(2)Malcolm M.
AMAZING...absolutely delicious. I'm not sure how to tell all the Yelp Family how truly fantastic this place is. House pasta Clam Linguine Pesto Bruschetta Simple, fresh, and delicious. Please open in Las Vegas sooooon!!!
(5)Nick B.
Food and service was great. Went here late after our flight got in and was pleasantly surprised. Brushedda (sp?)was on the smaller side but enough for just the two of us. Chicken parm was tasty and the chocolate Creme Brûlée coconut thing I really dug. Will defiantly come back.
(5)Freddy S.
If you are a fan of excellent and gourmet italian food this is the place to go. While we were visiting the island we came a couple of times; it's even great for children. I would recommend the house pasta and the eggplant parmesan. Dishes are big so you can share or come really hungry!!! If we ever come back to Kauai, this is the first restaurant we would visit.
(5)Miss J.
AWESOME Italian food! The caprese pasta and spaghetti and meatballs were so good. Our waiter was very attentive and helpful and their balsamic vinegar is so sweet and syrupy it's amazing! Will definitely go back!
(5)Lolita C.
We waited all day to have pasta at the 'famous' Kauai Pasta. We read about it in The Best Od Kauai publication. It received great reviews. After a short, expected wait, we were promptly seated almost in the kitchen. I know, someone had to sit there. Avery nice server came over after 5 or so minutes to explain the menu. 10 minutes later she came and took our orders. After asking 3 times ( yes 3!), we finally received a coke on the table 20 ( yes 20!) minutes later. All the while, we watched what seemed to be a local couple and child receive their entire dinner even though they were seated 5 minutes after we were. So, here we sit. Waiting. And waiting. The other table is half way through their dinner and on their 2nd glass of wine. I pray the food is so amazing that they will still deserve the 4 stars I was hoping for and that we are paying for....... Well dinner came. I'm sorry to say that it was not worth the wait. I'm frustrated because everyone around us had amazing looking dinners. Our pasta was extremely under cooked. It was cold and chewy. The Alfredo sauce was ok but nothing to brag about. The meatballs scared us. The shrimp with mine were tasty but a bit cold. We tried so hard to like our dinner. It was just not possible. My husband didn't want to say anything. His solution was to ignore it. However, when the server came check on things, he couldn't hold it in. I told her I could not understand how we waited 40 minutes to get our food served cold. It just doesn't make sense. The manager came and apologized profusely and gave us desert. Quite frankly that didn't make up for everything else. We just wanted to have good, hot food. Not too much to ask for. I would give a 1 star but the fact that the manager actually tried to fix it and seemed to care earned them another star.
(2)Belle N.
11/11/11 Pretty interesting location...looks like they kept expanding...and admittedly pretty good italian food! We headed there for lunch and though it seemed pretty quiet...folks started pouring in! Their lunch special was amazing
(4)Kelly B.
This place is excellent. The bar area is cozy, the restaurant is clean and open. The food is delicious and the service is amazing. New chef specials every day! Highly recommend if you are in the area!
(5)Lisa K.
We had a great late night dining experience in the KP lounge in Kapa'a. The environment was cozy, the sautéed spinach and truffle parmesan fries with chipotle sauce were delicious, and Joe at the bar was friendly and super-accommodating. Thanks for making us smile - we'll definitely be back!
(5)Kurt C.
After an awesome experience at the Kauai Pasta in Lihue, we were hoping for an equally one here and were not disappointed. Appetizer - Baked Mozzarella: This is not the same as moz. sticks, but is an actual sheet of mozzarella on a bed of marinara sauce with bread for dipping. The taste is amazing, although the plate is a bit over priced at $10. Entree - Parmesan Chicken: Cooked perfectly with an outstanding marinara sauce. Try alfredo on the accompanying pasta for a nice combo. Entree - Parmesan Eggplant: Awesome flavor and texture. Tried the pesto sauce and was slightly less impressed. Stick with the alfredo for a perfect meal. If in doubt of where to go for a nice (but not exactly cheap) meal, this is never a bad option; although don't be surprised by the number of diners in swim wear. They do keep the lights dim and the mood romantic.
(4)Heidi M.
I know, I know...eating a big Italian dinner on Kauai sounds a bit sacrilegious, but after a week on the island and eating mediocre food, we were looking for a good, satisfying meal. After reading reviews on Yelp, I made a reservation on OpenTable and an hour later, we arrived at the location of my best meal on the island! Although we had a reservation, we still had to wait about 10 minutes for our table. Slightly annoying, but hmmm, if the house was packed, this must be a good sign!!! Once seated, service was friendly and prompt. (Though another annoyance, the hostess forgot to mark us as checked-in in the OpenTable system, so a few days later I had explain to OpenTable that we did, in fact, honor our reservation. Oh well.) I will give the hostess props for recommending the calamari because it was AWESOME! not greasy and drizzled with a delicious soy-lemon aioli. For my entree, I had the Chicken Parmesan with a side of pesto pasta. Generous portion and everything tasted super-fresh and delicious. I also got a slice of tiramisu cheesecake to go. It was good, but the calamari and chicken parmesan are what really stood out. Kauai Pasta was such a wonderful and welcome change from all the cheesy tourist traps with lava rock/waterfall ambience and crappy food. Highly recommend!
(4)Kristen C.
Best food we had all trip! AMAZING truffle fries and brie Mac and cheese! Reasonably priced. Will definitely refer friends and come back!
(5)Allison B.
+good food +huge portions (Italian-style :) ) +anything off the chef's specials menu is going to be delicious +very attentive wait staff--water glasses were never below half full -salads were good, but nothing special -quality food, so quality prices, but
(4)Bob V.
As good as it gets for Italian on Kauai for sure, generally I come here on every trip to Kauai 1-2x per week. Love the house pasta, veggies and salads. Someone does need to teach the chef/cooks about Parmigiana thou, sprinkling a little parmesan, pre-grated from a plastic bottle, just doesn't cut it over the chicken or eggplant. Next time I come in I'll bring my own mozzarella and ask them to add it. AS it should be! Except for that miscue, I really like the food and ambiance and plan to have the psto chicken tonight.
(5)Holly R.
Adam was an awesome server! The food to die for yummy! Caesar salad the best I've had! We will make a second visit before we go home!
(5)Aida T.
Best hearty meal in the island, great lunch special. Friendly staff. The House pasta, pesto, and their parmesan truffle fries. Avoid the ravioli they are more like dumplings, nice twist but if you grew up with homemade ravioli you might be disappointed.
(5)Pete P.
If you're getting tired of "island cuisine," Kauai Pasta is a good find. The food was very good to excellent. Wife had the spinach salad and the bruschetta. I had the chicken Parmesan, which comes with a choice of pasta sides. I had the meat sauce on spaghetti. Pasta was perfectly al dente and the meat sauce was thoughtfully done; nice Italian favors. The chicken was also excellent & fork-tender. A couple of minor complaints. They need to figure out a way to keep their red wines just a little cooler. Not cold, just not Kauai "room temp." I asked for a second glass of wine just after our entrees arrived and ended up canceling that after waiting until I was nearly done eating. And their front (nicer) dining room was a little too dark. These would have been enough to knock off a star on the mainland, but still a solid 4stars here on Kauai.
(4)Liz M.
Perfect! Everything that we read on yelp that was negative was not true. They had plenty of servers (excellent service), it was clean, excellence ambiance, and the portions were perfect! We will definitely be back here next time we are in kauai.
(5)aaron b.
This place is interesting. Up front is a seemingly nice dimly lit romantic Italian restaurant. In the back is a fluorescent cheesy "olive garden" looking area where the throw all the tourists, families, trashy locals, and apparently obese people. I totally understand this necessity in running a restaurant in a tourist town, it's just interesting to note that you may have 1 of 2 totally different atmospheres. The service must match your assigned "class" as well. The food was all great though (must only be 1 kitchen! ). We got the butternut squash ravioli (superb!) and a Caesar salad (very good). Also got the pineapple upside down cake cocktail (novelty drink. not really worth it).
(3)Jay C.
Yummy food, great prices, very friendly service! Check out the two-for $10 lunch special at the Kapaa location! Great variety of options, and consistently good in every way. Went here several times (both locations) during our trip to Kauai.
(5)Michelle F.
I was in Kauai for a week and was REALLY craving pasta so my boyfriend and I decided to give this place a try. We walked in and the restaurant was relatively empty. There was one couple in front of us at the hostess stand, presumably looking at a menu. We stood there for over ten minutes and not one employee even looked in our direction.. I can understand if the restaurant was busy, and someone said hello and that they'd be right with us, but we were treated as if we were invisible. Needless to say we didn't stay where we were obviously not wanted,
(2)Harlan S.
This may be one of the finest restaurants that Kauai has to offer. Good decor, succulent menu and savvy wait staff. Every course was stimulating and flavorful. The asparagus with cheese is excellent. The only thing holding this place back from perfection is that their specialty cocktails suck so bad you could clear blocked drain lines with them.
(4)Ambreesh K.
Yup was not expecting to go eat Italian in Kauai - c'mon, I'm from Joisey, we know our Eyetalian. But it had been a really really long day, lots of sun, water and other stuff. A local recommended this place, not too far from where we were hanging. Getting parking here was tough, the lot was full. Which btw was our story for all of our trip to Honolulu, Big Island and Kauai, but I digress. After parking, and being told that there was a 30 min wait, I sauntered into the back and found a bar and lounge with open tables. First come, first served and we plonked ourselves there. The menu was the same as the restaurant, so we started with the spinach and artichoke appetizer, which got us going, it was very good and bubbling hot. For mains, we got pastas, which I was wary about however I am a fan of pesto, thought I'd try it. I was famished and the wine was good - Primus 'The Blend' Veramonte from Chile, how bad could it really be? I was surprised - the pasta was not over cooked, and the pesto was very flavorful. My wife got the Greek pasta which she loved. The older one got a Chicken Parmesan with Pasta Alfredo, which looked good and she inhaled the lot. The younger one consumed a pasta dish with marinara, loved it. Oh and we got an order of the truffle Parmesan fries, nice and crispy fries, perfectly washed with truffle and Parmesan! It was a great meal, the setting in the lounge was good, the outside restaurant looked a bit industrial, so happy that we ended up in the lounge.
(4)Paul P.
Inconsistencies, Eaten there before a lot we live here Lunch special was skimpy and my Panini was microwaved you know when the bread it's hard around the corners just not good . We won't be coming back I working the neighborhood I tell everybody to go there but no more. I can't remember having the worst lunch
(1)Alex B.
I live on Kauai, and I eat here frequently at both locations. I have never had a bad meal at Kauai Pasta, and everything they serve is quality and delicious, from the salad to the desserts. I have to say the salads are not to be missed, and because the entree prices are reasonable, I can get a specialty salad with my dinner and still eat for less than just an entree at some of the rip-off joints on Kauai. Great job Kauai Pasta, keep up the good work!
(5)Emm C.
Great option for lunch. They have a lunch special whereby you get a salad and pasta for $10. Loved it because I feared an overly large portion but it was just right. We took it to go and ate at Lydgate Park where the rugrat was amused by real roosters, hen, and chickadees under a covered table! The pesto was awesome. It tasted like it was fresh blended w basil, cheese, olive oil and macadamia nuts! Yum
(4)Mark S.
We're from Ca. We read the top reviews for this restaurant.We tried it and regretted it. I had the Lasagna and my wife had the eggplant Parmesan .The meat sauce on the lasagna was way too salty and tasted burnt,the eggplant on Parmesan wasn't cooked and the sauce was salty and gritty.The garlic bread tasted like it was frozen then microwaved.Food here is really over priced,service is really good.Stay away you'll be throwing your money away. Mark S
(1)Emily N.
I was very pleased with Kauai Pasta. I didn't like the name, and I noticed there was another branch of it in Lihue so I was worried about it being a chain, but had read a review that said it was fantastic, so we stopped in. True, the view is of a parking lot. True, the lighting is sort of unflattering and its not the ideal setting for a romantic meal. We had also just gotten soaked on a boat and I was still chilled to the bone. The temp was freezing inside, but that was my own fault. The decor inside was sort of typical family restaurant, but taking a peek in the KP Lounge out back, I was realized it was in stark contrast to what they bring out late night. I wished we'd planned ahead with nicer clothes and opted to hit the lounge instead. Resigning ourselves to a decent "family" experience, I went ahead and ordered a few mint basil mojitos to try and lighten the mood. The waitress (who was awesome by the way) gushed about them before heading into the lounge to put in the drink order. Once I tasted it, I realized we were in trouble because I wanted to order about seventeen more of them. The flavors were fantastic in the drinks, so we had high expectations for the food... and we weren't disappointed. The food was tasty, fresh, and plated beautifully. We had no complaints and even ordered a decadent chocolate dessert to finish things off. Overall, don't be turned off by the decor or the plain-jane name of this small chain, because the food is off the hook! Seriously.
(4)Linda E.
I'm a couple months behind in writing this review, but thought it was significant enough to post at this late date. To celebrate our wonderful family vacation, my daughter-in-law wanted to treat us to a nice dinner in Kauai. We arrived at Kauai Pasta at our reserved time and were quickly seated. We were thoroughly enjoying our conversation, wine and appetizer, when a party of 12 were seated at a long table directly behind us. In no time at all, our pleasant dinner turned into a nightmare! We couldn't hear each other speak across a small table without resorting to shouting, due to the small size of the room and acoustics. We had to literally shout to the waitress that it was way too loud in the room and she agreed, but offered no help. (The decibel level reminded me of rock concerts or clubs, but you go expecting it to be loud.) About this time our dinner was served and we just couldn't continue enduring the noise level and the anxiety we feeling. We asked for our meals to be boxed and left. My heart went out to my disappointed daughter-in-law, as she certainly wasn't planning on spending $$$'s for a dinner we couldn't enjoy. However, to Kauai Pasta's credit, I have to say that the next day I microwaved my Chicken Parmesan Dinner and it was spectacular A+. This review would have been 5 stars under different circumstances. Advice: Just remember to ask if they have reservations arriving shortly for a large party, before agreeing to sit in the small room.
(2)Kevan M.
Great, affordable italian food. The atmosphere isn't so great. You're looking out into a parking lot behind the Taco Bell. The interior is decent, there's a swanky bar area with higher-end drinks and a dining area with reasonably nice furnishings. They had a good deal running for lunch that basically gave you a list of 10-15 items. You picked 2 and that was your meal - all for $10. I got the garden salad and ham sandwich. I enjoyed both of them. My dining guests also enjoyed their food (house pasta, house salad) quite a bit. Service was friendly and accommodative. If you're sick of the typical tourist menus and prices, go here instead!
(4)Brice P.
First with the good. The squash ravioli was fantastic and the crab cakes were good. Aside from that the service was poor. We were never given bread (minor), we spent over 40 minutes waiting for our food with no one checking in with us while there were ample server staff and the pizza my wife ordered tasted like salt + bread. The wait didn't seem to be because they were busy (people seated after us were finished by the time we were served) or because the meal was complex (ravioli, their special, and pizza). Yet no one checked in with us or explained the wait.
(2)Rachel A.
This place was such a gem. I can't believe we found such fresh and tasty italian food in Hawaii!! the decor leaves much to be desired but our waitress was very friendly and attentive - especially since we were a last minute group of 8. The food was excellant and very affordable. I had the pesto with basil grown on the island and macademias instead of pine nuts. The best however were the squash raviolis. The apple crisp dessert is another must do.
(5)Brett F.
Mangia! Mangia! Kauai goes Italian. Who knew that right when you're ready to make a departure from all the poi, opah and ahi you can handle, Kauai has a pretty solid Italian restaurant ready to swathe you in marinara, pesto, parmigiano and bolognese? Me! This linguine lovin' gal did, that's who. Pretty respectable experience all around at Kauai Pasta. From the friendly local service, to the expansive and mouthwatering menu, to their surprisingly swank and upscale cocktail lounge, I was impressed at first glace with what this Kapaa location had to offer. Favorite items like Eggplant Parmesan, Veal Picatta, Lasagna and Baked Ziti all jumped out at me, but it was their specials that truly turned my head. Wild Boar Ragu, Ravioli with Truffles, Spinach Fettuccine with Lobster Nage. Whoa! Who's cooking back there, Mario Batali? They clearly don't rest on their traditional kitchen laurels here... thinking outside the spaghetti and meatball box scored big points in my book. Went with the Spinach Fettuccine with Lobster Nage and an addition of fresh seared scallops. Mama Mia! It was fantastic. Creamy, abundant, satisfying and with an easily distinguishable rich lobster flavor, this was comfort food bathed in a beautiful Italiano light. Bellissima! Portions are large and easily sharable, but with dishes this well executed, who wants to go halvesies? So with all this nice praise why the 3 stars, eh? Well, simply because timing was terrible. We had a slightly larger group of 9 people and the kitchen struggled to produce items in a timely manner, fire dishes so everyone had a hot plate in front of them and also forgot a dish entirely. Oh Mio Dio! It was a bit of a mess... we sent back multiple plates to be reheated and ultimately our family dinner was one where no one in the family actually ate at the same time. Talk about a domestic fail. I would still definitely recommend for smaller parties - and for anyone who has yet to experience some truly unique Italian - but for your next group outing? Pass on this Pasta.
(3)Bri B.
I have to go here whenever in Kauai. Must have the Spinach and Artichoke Dip! Everything I have ever ordered from here was amazing!
(5)Nali M.
i wish they were located in kalaheo, not kapaa!! the lounge is something cool they recently added! i got to try it with a friend of mine and we sure did like it! i tried their chicken spring rolls, and they were sooooooooooooo delicious!! price is reasonable for what you get. their portions as far as pasta goes is really generous and almost too big! if you're not a big eater, bring someone to share with you! service was great-- the waiter even stayed longer than his scheduled shift to take care of us. i thought that was really nice, but unnecessary! he could have asked us to close out our tab. if you're in kapaa and want some great food--check out kauai pasta!
(5)Dan D.
Outside is deceiving when you drive by as this was an excellent meal. Our waitress was very friendly and were seated promptly with a reservation. Ribeye was on soecial and prepared perfectly. Our table was a little cramped bext to wall and a table behind us, but would definetly return.
(4)kevin p.
We had been on the island for 6 days before going here. Every night we tried different restaurants. Kauai Pasta blew them all away! Get the butternut squash raviolis!!!! INSANE!!!! So good
(5)kahau m.
KP lounge....... headed for the bar. Oh! Jenna's working!!!! order a Don Alvaro tequila and a chimay or maybe a dead guy!? "So Jenna? What's on the special tonight?" items i had in the past month? sous vide pork chop....... one of the best damn porkchops i ever had. housemade sausage with strawberry hawaiian chili pepper gelee...... yes please!!! ravioli of the day is always yummy. booo yaaa!
(4)Mike P.
My wife and I went there for lunch on a Friday when the power was out in Kapaa and the staff did a great job of managing through the outage and thankful to the customers. On top of all the distractions - the power came back on right before we entered - the food was great. We'll definitely be going back when we return to Kauai!
(5)Harry D.
This place wants to be a classy italian place, but it's not. The food is mediocre at best and overpriced pasta, mainly. I had the Greek pesto pasta and it was undercooked, hard, and doused in cheap pesto, with 3 small pieces of rubbery bread that you'd find at Safeway for $1.99. $18, really? The chicken alfredo pasta was average, plenty portions though. Best dish was the crab cake appetizer, nice sauce and delicious. The staff seemed like they were just try to scrape by for another night of boring pasta for tourists. Lounge in the back is alright...I won't eat dinner here again
(1)Roy H.
Didn't think of Italian when eating out on Kauai but this place was recommended to us by the concierge at our hotel so we figured we'd give it a try. It's pretty upscale and the prices are on the high side, but the food is really good. We had butternut squash ravioli as an appetizer which was really tasty. The pasta was al dente and the sauce tasted very fresh and garlicky. In a word...Yum!
(4)Merle E.
My 9 yr old grandson says Kauai Pasta has the best Caesar's Salad and Pasta ever. I liked the unique flavor of the meatballs and the house pasta.
(4)Adam G.
Went there for lunch and were not disappointed. Wife got pasta and a salad as a lunch special and I did a spinach salad and ham & onion panini. All were excellent, as was the price compared to other places we tried on the island. Can't say enough good things about this place...
(5)DeeDee W.
I had the Warm goat cheese, arugula and tomato salad and added the grilled shrimp to make it a meal. Totally yum. Loved it. All so fresh and light. My husband had fettuccine Alfredo and ate too much. Must have been good too. Wait help was very friendly and attentive.
(5)Lorene R.
We were here 6 years ago. We thought it was wonderful then! Since that time Kauai Pasta has expanded but kept their fabulous menu. Thank you for keeping it great. The portions are huge! And the service fantastic!
(4)kevin e.
Very good Italian here in the islands. Classics and some other options. Whole fam liked.
(4)Emily H.
Had the eggplant parm and thoroughly enjoyed it. Perfectly cooked and had nice (not bland or overpowering) taste. Waitress was super sweet.
(4)Laurie P.
Ono! We came here on our trip to Kauai and actually had our anniversary dinner here. It had an interesting vibe, family style restaurant in the front, more formal dinning in the center, and a lounge in the back! We were greeted by the smell of delicious basil and tomato sauce, so I was definitely expecting good things. Like many places on the islands, the food is fusion to an extent. The calamari (which was perfectly battered but was a little tough, should have fried it for shorter) was delicious and dressed in a soy wasabi aoili. I really enjoyed the warm goat cheese salad, the argula was perfectly dressed in a light dressing that allowed it's peppery flavors to shine. I am usually not a fan of goat cheese, but this goat cheese was mild, soft, and delicious. The garlic bread that came on the side of the salad was so good that we ended up ordering a basket! A definite must not miss if you come to eat. I had the spicy shrimp "ramen". It was angel hair pasta, shrimp sliced in half so when they cooked they would curl up into spirals (beautiful presentation!), all in a truffle butter broth. I ordered extra shrimp and am glad I did, otherwise I think they only put 2 or 3 halved shrimps in! It was delicious, but very rich. We had the salted caramel ice cream sundae for dessert, besides Molly Moon's salted caramel in Seattle, this is the best salted caramel ice cream I have ever had. Sweet, but not cloying, it was perfect. I could have done with a chocolate sauce instead of chocolate chips, but that is because I don't like the consistency of chocolate chips; too crunchy. All in all, the best meal we had while on Kauai.
(4)Dan J.
Starving after midnight when most of the restaurants are closed? Trying to avoid late night fast food restaurants? Well, I lucked out at Kauai Pasta as the Chef was still there excited to cook for you his Loco Moco. A bit pricey but the steak was tender, tasty and worth every penny.
(5)Alicia V.
My boyfriend and I enjoyed our meal here. Four stars for the food! We had the ravioli special appetizer. It was an Asian-inspired ravioli. The pasta was very fresh. It's been a long time since I've had fresh pasta and it was a real treat. We shared a bottle of pinot noir (can't go wrong there!) and a ribeye steak. The steak was cooked perfectly medium-rare and was served in a delicious mushroom demi glaze. It was accompanied by a Gorgonzola mac and cheese that was sinfully good and some fresh asparagus. For dessert we had the banana bread pudding. I literally could not eat any because I was so full. The portions here are large! My boyfriend enjoyed it though. I do have to say that I was disappointed in the coffee. It was like coffee flavored water. The reason I'm giving this place 2 stars is because of the service. First off, the waitress was hard pressed to answer questions when we asked for her to recommend things. I don't think that people should be servers if they aren't well versed in the menu. Next, right before dessert came the busboy dropped a bottle of Windex when cleaning the table behind me. Its top came off in the process and the bottle hit the floor. It splashed all up and down my back (and my new dress) and into my purse, which was on the floor. The busboy did rush over to pickup my purse and wipe it down. He apologized once, briefly. Then got the server and they asked me to move so they could wipe up the spill. There were no further condolences given and they did not offer anything in means of retribution, such as a free dessert or what have you. I think that it's not so much about getting the freebie as it is about the gesture, of which, there was none.
(2)Jade M.
If I could rename this place, it'd be Chewystickyrubberygrossopolis. I sincerely don't know how this place has good reviews. Maybe no one has had decent Italian meals before? Or maybe people like spending lots of money on awful food and service? Who knows.... First off - microfiber wall art panels next to an oil painting???! What. The. F*ck. Secondly, everything I tasted was mediocre AT BEST. The garlic bread was HORRID. I had to grow a second pair of incisors to rip through the rubbery bread - but after the first taste of it I knew I didn't want to go back for more anyways. I ordered the eggplant parmesan (Why?! WHY DID I DO IT?!!!), and it was probably the worst I've ever had. No, I take it back - it was *definitely* the worst I've ever had. It had no flavor, and it was as grossly chewy as the garlic bread. They served it with a side of sticky pasta that was either way undercooked, or maybe it was just sitting out on the counter since lunch time? What a waste of calories. Also, the girl delivering our food spilled hot veal juice on my mom's lap. Grossss. She apologized and tried to clean it up, but my biggest issue was when the server walked over and saw what had happened. He acted so nonchalant about it I'm wondering if it happens all the time? All he did was say in a monotone apathetic voice, "Shucks." Oh, and request to not be sat in the back room at a table under the swamp cooler. It was pretty unsanitary. One of the people in our group said she got splashed on at least twice by the chemical water leaking from above. So avoid it if possible, unless you think the filthy swamp cooler leakage will add some flavor to your meal?
(1)Bray S.
Their staff is attentive and their food is amazing! We expecially enjoyed their version of loco moco :-)
(5)Sarah K.
We had a nice meal at Kauai Pasta, but it wasn't a favorite. We ordered the Truffle Parmesan fries from the lounge menu, which were really tasty and came with 4 homemade dipping sauces. Then we split The Sampler, which was good and a nice-sized portion, but not anything super special. The restaurant is sort of lacking ambiance... I felt like it was just a restaurant at home, not like I was on vacation in Kauai. Good choice if you're craving Italian, but nothing too special.
(3)Wes Y.
I had the House Pasta. It was ok. The garlic bread that they give you along with the pasta is pretty good. I think they kind of overdo it on the sauce though - I think it's an American thing. After I finished my pasta I had about 3/4 cup left of meat sauce left on the plate. I ate the leftover sauce plain, but yeah...wish there were either more noodles or less sauce. I was kinda disappointed since the rating is so high for this place on yelp, but eh...maybe I ordered the wrong thing. I did however ask for recommendations for pasta and the house pasta was one of them - the other was fettucini alfredo and the other one was another pasta with chicken or something...I forget the name. Service was good though.
(3)Jeremy W.
delicious!
(5)Julie L.
Oh, this is our guilty pleasure. We only go when we have guests on-island because we eat too much and just have to be rolled out! They have two locations, they are both good, the one in downtown Lihue has better atmosphere. The best Fettuchine (sp?) Alfredo we've ever had, four varieties of sauces, all good. Try the fresh salads made with clean clean clean hydroponic greens out of Kilauea, it will be the first tiime you will taste the real potential of a salad - it just TASTES alive! Very friendly service, used to be slower when it was more crowded, but since the downturn and going to two restauants, there are fewer diners - go early, during the first sitting and save yourself a wait. Reservations for groups of 8 or more only, otherwise it's first-come, first serve. Try the Italian Sodas, they are to die for, but pass on the deserts.
(4)Arielle S.
Not necessarily the type of place you would think of going while in Hawaii, but the pasta was great. My boyfriend got the special which was a ravioli with gorgonzola and apples, which may seem weird, but it was one of the most delicious things I've ever tried.
(5)Roxie B.
Food was OK but service and atmosphere left a lot to be desired. My daughter loved her penne with Alfredo sauce. My husband liked his lasagna. I am gluten intolerant so I was glad to find GF pasta but the marinara spaghetti was nothing to write home about. It was hot inside this tiny joint with almost no air conditioning. Jen had very little interest in serving us. Several other employees attended to us more than she did. Bad service and uncomfortable temperatures are hard to overcome with mediocre food. Duke's and Hukilau were so amazing this was bound to be a let down. When in HI don't do Italian.
(3)Marisa B.
Mmmm love this place get the pasta sampler
(5)Yang H.
Best Italian Rest in Kauai !!!
(5)Randy O.
Our last evening (and dinner) on Kauai, we went to Kauai Pasta. The restaurant doesn't look too appealing from the exterior, but we were very happy with the meal. There were 7 of us (4 adults, 3 kids under the age of 8); the prices were very reasonable, we all ordered pasta w/ the house meat sauce. As others have noted, they heap on the sauce (not a problem for me); only negative is that they charge for bread, but given their reasonable prices, probably not a big deal. I wouldn't say the place is "kid aware" (they do not have plastic cups for kids drinks; no crayons or paper placemats for drawing). This is a "don't miss" place if you are anywhere nearby; hands down a better meal and pricing than any "tourist" places in/around Poipu. The 7 of us ate for under $100, which included salads and drinks.
(4)Irvin C.
The only reason why I went here is because it was yelp rated, hoping it was going to be a good experience, which it wasn't. The food was okay, The Pork Pot Roast I ordered was dry and salty, but the service sucked big time, I mean, have they never heard of the term "the customer is always right"? My wife asked not to have cheese on her dish and made sure a second time when the waiter brought our kids dinners first. So wouldn't you know it, her dish came with cheese, after explaining this to the waiter, he told us that all Italian food comes with cheese! WTF! And then continued to argue with us on how "Italian" food is. Ooookay... so then he brought another dish with out cheese a half an hour later. During this half hour wait, other people walked in, ordered and got their food before my wife got hers. What's up with that? Racism? What ever it is, it wasn't right. So screw you, tall skinny white guy with dark hair.
(1)E S.
Best meal we had on Kauai. Unfortunately this doesn't mean it was truly amazing, but it was pretty darn good and the prices were great for Kauai. We spent about $60 bucks (including tip) on 2 beers, a large ceasar, a greek style pasta (spaghetti with spinach, feta, pinenuts, olives, and tomato in a garlic olive oil sauce) and eggplant parmesan with pasta on the side. The sauces were great and we had leftovers to eat for lunch the next day. I'm sure we'll return next time we're on the island.
(4)Lucia C.
My family and I were on vacation in Kauai for a week, and this place was hands down the BEST place we ate at the whole time. After trying out various seafood and Hawaiian food restaurants all over the north, east, and south shores, we decided to try this place out on a recommendation from an employee named Brittany (who we met earlier that morning as she also works part-time leading horseback riding tours). We were so glad we went! The place has great ambience, very clean and comfortable. Service was friendly and attentive, and our waitress gave great recommendations on food. Prices were very reasonable and portions were large. And best of all, the food was DELICIOUS!!! We were so happy we were finally able to go to a restaurant we were so impressed by, although we were kind of sad that our favorite restaurant after a week on Kauai turned out to be a pasta place. Oh well...
(5)Jen B.
Great place for pasta. Huge portions and very good.
(4)Steve H.
Food was awesome. All five of us (myself, my wife and three kids) loved all of the dishes we ordered. The price was reasonable, and the atmosphere was homey.
(5)Jake H.
Do not let the outer appearance of this restaurant fool you. You could drive by it 100 times without the desire to go in. GO IN. This was one of the better restaurants we ate at on the island. Food was excellent, GREAT beer selection, good service, and good ambiance.
(5)Robert c.
Great meal, great price. Friendly service even though we did takeout, woman helped me pick out our meal over the phone and was really pleasant about it. We got the pasta special for the evening and some delicious potato gnocchi with some tasty sausage and red sauce and a pretty good salad. Good portion sizes so an entree, app, and salad totally filled my wife and I. Restaurant had a nice feel to it but music was a bit funky. Had a nice lounge area to wait in as well. Hard to find as it is tucked in next to a taco bell I think. Would of eaten here repeatedly but felt like I needed to eat some fish while on the island.
(5)K P.
Husband & I went and got an app and two of their specials. Both dishes were very good. Good service.
(4)R N.
Solid Italian food. You would never notice it if someone didn't tell you about it. Good portions and moderate prices. We would return.
(4)A C.
My mom got the GF margherita pizza. The GF pizza was great. It's not the pre-packaged dough you usually get. It was thicker than most crusts and light and fluffy. It was a little salty, but in a good way. I had the GF pesto. The sauce was really good, the noodles were average. 5 stars for the pizza, 3 stars for the pasta. Prices are between $15-$20 a plate plus the usual $2 GF surcharge. The waitress was very knowledgeable about celiacs and mentioned that they change everything when GF was ordered. Separate pots, water, etc. I didn't have a reaction at all.
(4)Tyson H.
Kauai pasta- great food at a reasonable cost. The lunch special in Kapaa from 11-3 is a killer deal! Definitely the best $11 I've spent on the island since I got here. Friendly service and plenty of seating. Our server (CharlieB) was on the ball too- great customer service. If only there were more places on Kauai with servers like him. I ordered the house pasta and the spinach pesto chicken panini. Both of which were delicious. The house pasta has an excellent sauce that reminded me of my fathers spaghetti; that's how you know it's good. The panini was made with fresh soft toasted bread and had ample chicken on it as well. My wife ordered the Chicken Parmesan with Fettuccine Alfredo on the side. Chicken was cooked perfectly and had a nice crust on that was nom. Fettuccine Alfredo's sauce was just right not too cheesy nor too creamy- texture and flavor were spot on! I would definitely recommend giving Kauai Pasta a try if you are in the area and craving some bomb Italian food.
(5)Ying L.
This is our first time dinning here while visiting the island. Service: The waitress only gave us 2 plates even she confirmed there were 3 of us. I asked for lemon for the fried calamari and she never came back with it. She never came back to check on us after the food arrived. Food: clams pasta...no flavor with only a few pieces of pasta. (See picture) Too over priced for $20+. Fried calamari-ok. Little too salty for me. Caesar salad--was ok. My son ordered the meat sauce pasta. He said it was too salty and I agreed with him too. Parking: small parking lot. Difficult to get in and out of the parking lot.
(1)Kara P.
Not too shabby a spot... Pasta marinara was awesome..the edamame not so much...out of place ingredients for an Italian place..
(4)Edward W.
Not bad. Pasta Pomodora was a little bland.Everything else ok.
(3)Laurie C.
I always love going to Kauai Pasta in Kapa'a, especially for their lunch special, which recently went up to $10.95 and offers two choices from a menu (I wish there was a way to even get a third choice because I often spend waaay too long debating my choices!!) The portion sizes really are quite comfortable and the food just bursts with flavor. The Pesto Pasta is very fresh and the salads are crisp and flavorful. Definitely try the House Pasta too for a hearty flavor!! The paninis are a smidge chewy for me, but full of flavor!! Desserts can run as much (or more) than the lunch special, but are always worth it!! Do note that at lunch time, guests are asked to use the KP Lounge door, located next to Nani Moon Meadery. The lounge is wonderfully cool and dark and offers a nice respite on sweltering days!! Salud!!
(5)Matthew C.
This restaurant had good food. For us, it was somewhat expensive. The restaurant is located in a plain (not upscale) shopping center. But the inside of the restaurant is very nice. It appeared to be a good restaurant for groups.
(3)Dani P.
Three stars wish I could do more. Food was awesome, My pasta was $20 and husbands steak was $35. Drinks were just alright, I got two fancy cocktails the mojito and the Rosemary& Ginger Margarita. Skip the cocktails and get wine you'll be more satisfied. Appetizer was delicious but kinda small for what you pay. Service was bad, we spent 10 min just waiting to be seated even with a reservation. Took forever to get our food and the two waitresses in our area would sit and chat at tables for 10 min while we were stuck in the corner waiting to eat. Like I said food was good but don't expect the best service for the price you will pay to eat here
(3)Kaiulani P.
Everything we ordered was amazing! The appetizer menu was so delicious we ordered so many that we barely had room for dinner! (clams, calamari, bruschetta, ravioli) Amazing! Then the entrees were so fabulous too! (whiskey rib eye, grilled chicken pasta, veal marsala, pesto pasta with shrimp) lots of leftovers can't wait to reheat and eat
(5)Lori L.
Kauai Pasta was still busy at 8:30 pm on a weeknight, and with good reason, we had a nice dinner at the proclaimed "Kauai's Best Italian Restaurant". We were told they were out of Arugula (for the Goat Cheese and Arugula Salad) and Pizza Dough and Mashed Potatoes, so we ordered the Caesar instead. It was a nice classic Caesar, the dressing was tasty. The Greek Pasta was a unique pasta that I hadn't had before. Feta, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, Capers, Olive Oil and Pesto. Light with a great combo of cohesive flavors and textures. The Daily Special was a Ribeye with Fries, Aspagus, Balsamic Caramelized Onions, and a Wine Demi-Glacé. The steak was tender and juicy, and had great flavor. The sides were nice complements and added to the dish. Go with good company, have a glass of wine, and enjoy a relaxing dinner at Kauai Pasta.
(4)Laura J.
Legit Italian food! The pasta was cooked perfectly and the Alfredo was great, not too rich, not too light. The meatball sliders were great too!
(5)John M.
This place has a banana bread pudding that is the best thing I've ever eaten. Kauia Pasta is a great place to stop for a reasonably priced (by Hawaii standards) meal. The staff was friendly and incredibly talkative... our server gave us some great tips for hikes and adventures to check out. The pasta was good- but the service and the banana bread pudding put this place over the top. We stopped in three nights in a row to get our bread pudding fix. You've been warned.
(3)Guy B.
In the dark it's almost impossible to find, something about the address will goof with your gps ...next to Taco Bell, the only light is the "open" sign in the window. Definitely worth the hunt. I've eaten at the Lihue location and this is just as good. Reasonably priced , large servings (a rare combination on this state unless your doing a plate lunch lol). Crispy calamari app is amazing. Stuff portobello app is good but an overpowering lemon flavor masks any chance to taste the crab. Lasagna w/meat sauce is worth getting as is the Alfredo. A bit more efficiency on the server side would have earned that 5th star in my book.
(4)Desiree M.
To start, my husband and I love Italian food. Any kind, all the time.. Everyday. This place was wonderful. We found it on yelp (I find most of our places on here) we walked in and they asked if we made a reservation. We did not but he said that was find they could get us right in. We were there right before the dinner rush, considering we are 3 hours ahead of time. We got there at 5:30pm (really it's 8:30 to us) Our servers name was Tyson L. He was wonderful. He gave us time to look at the menu, let us ask questions. We ordered an appetizer (home made meat balls) and then ordered dinner shortly after. The timing on everything was spot on. By the time the food came out they were on a wait and he was very busy. He was still kind and very attentive. My husband liked that we were not rushed. He even boxed my food considering all the tables he had. We had such a great dinner here! Very recommended!
(5)Amanda R.
I'd like to give 3.5. Front of the house didn't seem welcoming or friendly however our server was very pleasant. Our food was delicious and I was so excited to go to this place because the food looked so amazing. We ordered kids pizza ( which is on a bread so kids might be disappointed ) chicken parmesan which was delicious and huge portion, gluten free margarita pizza which lacked sauce everything was right in the dead center and very dry. We also ordered fettuccine Alfredo that was really good. Also side green salad was delicious and Caesar salad was a normal salad little light on the dressing.
(3)Baby C.
We had a great time here! Gab was our server and was really sweet and very attentive.
(5)Sara M.
Very good food. Fresh sauces made with care. Well done and worth the price. Elegant atmosphere friendly staff.
(5)Kristen K.
Although we enjoyed our dinner at Kauai Pasta, I just couldn't bring myself to give it anymore than 3 stars. It is "A-ok" don't get me wrong. But here's some of my thoughts about this joint (in my humble opinion): -I got the "sampler": white sauce, red sauce, pesto. Added meatballs. The meatballs were great! The white sauce and red sauce went very well together. But the pesto (although of good consistency and flavor) was just drenched in oil. I know pesto is basically oil. But it soaked everything else on the plate and I left quite a bit of noodles because they were completely saturated. Maybe I should have asked for that on the side. -My husband got their special "carbonara" of the night, made with spinach noodles. The noodles were very good! The rest of the components were also good BUT the sauce was watery, weak, and just a big disappointment. -Portion size was just right -Truffle fries....are hard to mess up. -The bread & butter was good -The wines by the glass weren't very appealing at all -The price: decent Overall, if you're craving Italian food while visiting Kauai, this is a pretty good pick. It's pretty casual and you can stop in after the beach in shorts and slippers.
(3)Peter A.
I had their pesto veggie linguini, my son had the chicken parm. Both dishes were excellent. The bread they give as appetizer was tasty with a hint of Rosemary. The dessert didn't seem unique enough for us to try, we rather go find a homemade ice cream shop after a good meal. Great Italian food overall away from the Mainland. Definitely a must-go at least once during your stay here on the Garden Isle. Oh yeah, and great service!
(4)Shawna M.
I love the kp lunch specials! They are affordable and filling. Always get truffle fries! They are so delicious ! The lounge is a little small in the back but its good for a one on one lunch date. Dinner is good too. Nice ambience. The smell of the food when it arrives smells so good. I prefer the Kapaa location than the Lihue location. Lihue doesnt have a lunch special or truffle fries which sucks. Being that they are the small restaurant, they should consider the lunch specials and truffle fries.
(5)Jeffrey W.
Very good pasta. I got the house pasta and it was like excellent homemade. The mushroom soup was gourmet. The service was very good as well. Funny thing was they lock the front door of the restaurant and you are directed around the building to a side entrance that is a bar, a very smelly bar at that, that is connected to the restaurant. This was a big turn off for me, I thought for a minute that we were expected to eat in this stale booze environment. But then we were told we could eat there or around the corner in the dining room.
(4)Phillip T.
Amazingly well prepared italian food in the heart of Kauai. We came in expecting diner quality food but their quality of food is on part of real italian. The noodles were al dente the sauces were light and presentation was excellent. The only downside was they were out of a key ingredient in one of our dishes and there was no offer to compensate and were charged full price. We would reccomend.
(4)Eric K.
We got in before the rush. Literally the only people there. Twenty minutes later every table was full. It was good it they didn't have some of the items that others were talking up in reviews. My steak was ok but inconsistently cooked. Half was well done the other half medium-rare. My wife got a pasta dish and she didn't even want to wrap the half of the meal she didn't eat, which says something. It wasn't bad.... But for the price there is better to be had.
(3)Annie N.
They're connected to an entire other wing called "KP lounge" where you can get drinks and some atmosphere. Looked cool. All in all, not a memorable meal, but service was good. The hostess is friendly, and one tan gentlemen stood out as well, giving local tips to the table next to us. I got the pesto pasta and meatballs and the meatballs surprised me instantly with the choice of seasoning. I was expecting the usual Parmesan-tasting meatball but was caught off guard by a Mediterranean spice. It reminded me of gyros, and then I thought of lamb. I will say my favorite thing was their apple crisp dessert. It comes with vanilla ice cream and the 'crisp' part of it all was just so good. Nice quaint place for dinner with intimate lighting. I wouldn't go as far as romantic; we had kids stomping and yelling behind us the entire time.
(3)Kyle W.
Incredibly well-crafted pasta sauces, homemade sausage and meatballs, and excellent service. Try the pasta sampler with meatballs (which is not on the menu) or the lasagna with meat sauce -- both among the best we've ever had (and we've eaten a ton of good pasta, let me tell you!) Possibly the meal under $20 on the island!
(5)Cassie C.
One of the only places open late near where we were staying. The food was pretty good but not great. They have a lounge in the back so it was pretty loud inside. If you're in a pinch come here, if not I'd pass.
(3)Kevin S.
Huge portions and friendly service. The pasta was nothing special though. The pesto pasta was kind of bland. Nice atmosphere though, with separate areas for a bar, casual seating, and more intimate seating.
(3)Chloe L.
I'm so disappointed! I thought this place would be great considering the 4 star Yelp rating. My bf and I ordered spinach artichoke dip, butternut squash ravioli, pesto chicken w fettuccine alfredo, and a ribeye special. $80 wasted on garbage. Our hostess and waitress were friendly, so that's why I'm not giving this place 1 star. I made reservations for 7:30, we arrived at 7:15, and we waited until 7:30 to be seated (which was no problem). We ordered shortly after being seated since we looked over the menu as we waited. Two appetizers and two entrees. Table bread arrived almost 30 minutes after we placed our orders, appetizers came out maybe 10-15 minutes after the bread. The table bread came with a yummy garlic butter, but our waitress brought no plates until we got our appetizers. The spinach artichoke dip was SO thick - way too much cheese. It was difficult to eat, but I'm not going to waste $10 dip. The ravioli was pretty good. I've had better, but this wasn't bad! Steak was okay. Pesto chicken was okay. Everything here seems pretty mediocre at best. The alfredo was no good. Once again, too much damn cheese. I ate a couple bites and I was done. For what they charge, I expect food (and service!) of a much higher quality. So disappointed. Not going back.
(2)William T.
This was the best meal we had on Kauai by far! I was A little apprehensive to have Italian food while in Kauai but they absolutely blew me away. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they used my favorite local fish and incorporated it into their dishes. I had a fettuccine alfredo topped with fresh Ahi and i was in heaven! Everybody loved loved loved their meals! Do not over look this place!
(5)Stephanie L.
More than likely one of the only places to get Italian food on the island. Came here out of superstition to eat pasta/noodles on my birthday (thanks Asianparents) -- nothing to write home about. A little better than Olive Garden. Ps: it's cold inside; bring a jacket!
(3)James W.
Tried the calamari, bruschetta, goat cheese & arugula salad, and pesto pasta w/ shrimp. Everything was very good. The calamari has a sauce and was reminiscent of an appetizer you would find at a sushi restaurant - which worked and was a good thing. Especially liked the bruschetta - loved that it was soft focaccia bread with trimmed crust & no hard bits.
(5)Darlene B.
Womp. Pasta fail...well, kind of! This place got such great reviews! We were trying to go to the other location, but ended up at this one. We were able to make last minute reservations via Open Table....it was Mother's Day after all. The menu had some pricey options. We ordered the Calamari as the table's appetizer and it was actually really good! It was large portion with a chili-like sauce on top. I ordered Spaghetti, hated that the meatballs were an additional few dollars. Boo! The meatballs were the weird part...they tasted funny. It was as if they were unwrapped from a plastic container, cooked, and the plastic wore off on it. I forced myself to eat it BECAUSE it was extra. We also had the truffle fries...the fries were too crispy..almost burnt. I dislike it when places do french fries wrong. The portions are also quite large, i believe everyone else enjoyed the pesto, alfredo...but i couldn't enjoy damn spaghetti. I wouldn't consider it a Kauai Staple must-have.
(3)Noel H.
Came here for our first dinner in Kapa'a. We had high expectations for this place since we love to eat Italian food and were referred by a few friends who are from Kauai/visit often. This could be why I only gave them 3 stars instead of 4. The goat cheese and arugula salad was great. For entrees we ordered the chicken Parmesan with pesto and the Greek pasta. The pasta was cooked al dente, just the way we like but we weren't wowed with the flavor. After speaking to a Kauai native on our way out of Kauai, they suggested that we get "the sampler" next time we visit (pasta with chicken and different types of sauces)... but it's not on the menu! how can we enjoy something so awesome if we don't know it exists?! Oh well, maybe we will return to check it out and re-evaluate our experience.
(3)Connie K.
... We each had the lunch combo.. I got pesto pasta and fettuccine Alfredo. My husband got the fettuccine Alfredo and chicken florentine panini .. We both LOVED the pesto pasta! I was pleasantly surprised with the lunch portion, especially for the price! Too bad we didn't find this place until our last day here! We easily paid the same price for half the food everywhere else! We also split the Parmesan fries.. Not my favorite, but to each their own! :)
(5)Suzy H.
Great service, VERY sub par food. Pesto pasta was very bad and came out cold. Pizza was fine, nothing terrific.
(1)Eric W.
As funny as it may seem, out of the ten dinners I had in Kauai, this was probably the best. My family had the shrimp and scallop stuffed ravioli and a couple orders of Parmesan chicken. Both dishes were fantastic and the service was the best we experienced on the island. Well recommended.
(5)Maloos K.
Super expensive!!! I paid $18 for a plate of plain pasta with half chopped tomato, two leaves of basil and maybe a sprinkle of cheese which you barely could taste!!! When we asked why is that so expensive, she said the cost is high in Hawaii!!!! It might me right for certain things but I believe some places are just misusing this situation!!! Anyhow, she offered us to take it off from my bill but since I don't believe in wasting food, I took my food home to have it later even though it has been the most tasteless/expensive pasta in my life!!!! And the place itself is very gloomyyyy. Oh! I won't go back there again!!!
(1)David A.
Solid 4 Star Italian restaurant. Forget about Bobby V's. This place has just enough taste to feel a bit up scale with a touch of fusion, both in their taste in music and décor. We split their spinach salad as our starter which was the right choice for the size and taste. Very good... I had the pasta with meat sauce and additional meatballs. Really didn't need the meatballs cause the sauce was not skimpy on it. Wife had the Fettuccine Alfredo. Finally a restaurant that does not call heavy cream an Alfredo sauce. Theirs has cheese and garlic. Going for the banana bread pudding next. Great place... you will not be disappointed.
(4)Diana N.
What a surprise! This was recommended by a shop owner down the street. At first glance, I thought it looked like a dump. After reading the rave reviews on Yelp, I had to give it a try. I ordered their signature appetizers, butternut squash ravioli and truffle fries. THese guys do not disappoint!!! The butternut squash ravioli would be a great entree just in itself! Perfectly sweet and salty...with cream butternut squash! YUMMMMMM! Truffle fries came with 4 homemade dipping sauces, but I think they taste amazing by itself. Calamari was pretty darn tasty too! If i had to come back, I'd order a bunch of appetizers and just go to town! As an entree, I ordered the truffle ramen which is made with angel hair pasta, edamame, shrimp, and greens in a truffle broth. The broth itself was tasty but I just feel that ramen noodles would've worked better in this particular dish. My husband got a pork dish that was prepared with a vacuum sealed pouch and flavored beautifully. I couldn't remember the name of this dish but ask for the one that's prepared with a vacuum sealed pouch. Clam linguini looked amazing. Come to think of it, they all looked amazing. Even the kid's dishes were yummy. I just wish they had one in Oahu =(
(5)Shannon S.
Good friend said it was GREAT. So gave it a try! The best part of the dinner was the bread and the wine.. (Things they didn't make) The ravioli's were cold, the crab stuffed mushroom smelled like fish before it was set on table.. Tasted funny... Everything was average.. And mostly sweet in flavor.. The server didn't even ask if things were ok.. When you could see we didn't eat any of the food. Not. Worth going back.
(1)Brian S.
We had the Ceasar Salad, Crispy Calamari, and the Pesto Chicken Pasta. Flavors and portion are there. Let's just say this... If I got food poisoning, I'd still come back.
(5)Jackie Y.
This place is amazing. We had a gluten free margarita pizza and brown rice Alfredo. We are coming back here again soon!
(5)Chuck E.
You have to try this. The service is good, the wait staff caters to you. Order the calamari, it is the best. All four meals were outstanding. I can't say enough about the food. We will definitely be back.
(5)Tyson L.
Good food but the service could use a bit of help. I think it might help if they had more than one server. They were very polite and I stated the food was very good and size portions were good too.
(4)Krissy W.
Very good!! Enjoyed the fettuccine and their bread is tasty and plentiful, salads were very scrumptious too - can't wait to go back and try desert
(4)Amanda F.
The four stars is due to a chaotic shift change which left our table completely under attended. The food was very good. We had 3 different pasta dishes and a pizza panini. Everything was generously portioned and tasted delicious! My warm goat cheese salad was huge, but could have used another veggie or two-it was just greens and tomatoes. Our first server was very friendly and attentive! Will be returning!
(4)Jim R.
We wanted something a little different halfway through our family Hawaiian getaway so chose Kauai pasta after looking through yelp. We made a reservation (called same day) which was a good idea as the place seats maybe 40 and there were several people waiting outside at 7 pm. I selected the "house made" pasta and house special bolognese sauce and was a bit disappointed. The pasta seemed more like boxed spaghetti and the totally wrong pasta for the thick meaty sauce. My wife on the other hand had the squash ravioli and appreciated that you could get either a full or half sized order. Her pasta definitely looked home made. Service was rather lacking but I think it may be that they were severely understaffed. Our waiter Adam seemed to be handling about 1/2 of the place and despite his literally running from place to place just couldn't keep up on the night we visited. If you really want pasta, this place is fine, but nothing to write home about.
(3)Francine G.
Happy we made reservations for New Year's Day Dinner. We got seated within minutes of arriving, while there was a mob at the door & outside; even though we were surrounded by several empty tables. First fail was trying to spread a what seemed to be overly chilled, if not frozen garlic butter ball on cold bread. Got our beverages at the same time as our appetizers; guess it was busier than we thought. Ordered the usual Side Caesar Salad & Fettuccine Alfredo, but decided to add Chicken this time. We've eaten here numerous times, but this was the first time we weren't happy with the food and service. The Pasta was very underdone, while the Chicken was overdone and dry. Service wasn't the usual either.... one refill for my son's beverage after we received our entrees and we never saw anyone other than when we asked for the check. Very limited on Kauai as far as the restaurants we choose to patronize; we'll eventually return to Kauai Pasta in Kapaa, but it may be awhile...
(3)marc o.
We decided to go against instinct and try. The reviews were love or hate so we figured it might be one of those gems that is just mis-understood...If the price wasn't so high i would have gone 3 stars as the food was on par with an an "average" italian place. Daughter got $15 pepperoni pizza. Actually thought is was good, but more of a $10 size at 12 inches. Wife and I shared the Ahi appetizer special. Tuna was pounded thin, but heavy with gristle. Taste was good for the 60% that was edible. Butternut squash ravioli appetizer and fettuccine Alfredo was main course. I really liked the ravioli, but the price($12) for 5 medium ravioli was (again) high. Alfredo was decent, but I would get Bobby V's over this any day and save the $$. Bobby v's is slightly better for half the price. Sure you give up some ambiance, but if you are okay with a less fancy option keep the $40 and use it for something memorable.
(2)Hans T.
This is the 2nd time I visited this restaurant. 1st time the food here wowww me. White wine sauté clam over Linguine was absolutely delicious. Calamari was one of the most creative dish I ever tried, with Japanese fusion and it was so yummy. But this time we ordered the same thing but was way to salty. My gf and I have to keep drinking water to continue eating. Maybe the chef has changed? Not sure, but will not likely to come back next time since we have found great places that local goes to, and that's what we'll stick with.
(3)Nicole G.
This place is a joke, Jolly the server/bartender needs to work on her customer service skills. Very rude and unwelcoming, and for that I will never recommend this place. She needs to learn these skills before she goes back into public again in the work field. I wont let her ruin the aloha spirit of Kauai. Shame on you Jolly!!
(1)Eric B.
This was exactly what we needed after finding the nearby fish market closed. Fresh and delicious with good service. We were famished and left nice and happy. Aloha
(5)Ashton G.
We have come here twice and let me say we haven't been disappointed! I think we actually could have been ruined on any other calamari. It was the best I have ever had by far! I also highly recommend the bruschetta as an appetizer. My favorite dish is the pesto chicken pasta. Huge portion and worth every bite! I recommend for anyone that likes Italian food! Was happy to get away from the fried food we have been having!
(5)Dawn R.
My husband and I love Kauai Pasta. The Kapaa location has a weekly pick two lunch menu that is very reasonably priced and good portions. The bread pudding is amazing! The soups are delicious too!
(5)Lindi L.
When j am home I always try to make to in to the Kauai pasta . I love the truffle fries and the pasta chicken fettuccine. The calamari is the best !!!! Parking is a bit of a problem but it is worth it becouse the food is so good.
(5)Sher R.
We visited here after reading some good reviews from yelp. Well, yelp does fail sometimes. I'd skip this one. Mediocre food that did not taste like it was cook by an actual chef. My husband said that his was good, although it wasn't even Italian, it was a thai dish. I had the chicken parmesan which was smothered in red sauce after I ordered a cream alfredo sauce. Service was friendly. Skip this one, not recommended.
(2)Preston C.
Really? This is sugarland canned tomato flavor. And really? Parking? I'd rather go to tacobell than eat the filth you serve here. Kauai pasta must be synonymous with "vomit flavor" pasta and "we hate customers."
(1)Jim H.
The house pasta and gluten free pesto pasta were both quite good. We ordered take-out so I can not comment about the service. Our food was ready in 30 minutes; they were telling customers when I arrived the wait time for a table was 45 minutes.
(4)Michelle P.
Very tiny place, semi-romantic ambience, not good for groups, very SLOW service!! Our side of spinach came out cold too but they made us a new side. That being said, our pesto grilled chicken was VERY good, as was our house salad and the fresh bread with garlic butter was good. The lasagna was okay...too much thyme. There was a bug on our table but overall the restaurant was clean. Maybe better for takeout.
(2)ImLookingAt U.
Too cold inside Run of the mill food No atmosphere. Friendly server Had half a panini that came with small cesser salad. All flavors were good but would not go back.
(2)Sara O.
Alright. It was good for Hawaii, but I have had better Italian in NYC, DC, Silver Spring (Pete's, Olazzo, Sergio's) or Baltimore and even NJ. We came here on our last day before our late night flight. I ordered the eggplant parmesan. And my boyfriend order the goat cheese arugula salad. The food was edible and okay, but I would def have preferred to eat someplace else in this area had I known that it was not going to be as mind blowing as I had expected. It def beats Olive Garden, but the prices, service, and food are not as good as expected. I looked at the yelp review of this place and I would have to disagree a bit with the rave reviews. Maybe we had ate so much throughout the week that we were just not hungry enough to enjoy the food, but it tasted like pasta and salad that I could make at home and the service was not that great or fast enough to give this place 4 stars I just think Italian is so simple that restaurants need to deliver something special. If I lived in Kapaa this review of course would be 4 stars as I would eventually crave Italian and would want this place to stay open, but if you are from mainland U.S. and have moderately discerning tastes, you may be slightly disappointed.
(3)Tim F.
When we arrived we were promptly seated in the back room and our server, Travis, was at our table shortly. The wine selection seemed to be pretty good and we began with salads. I had a house salad and my wife had the baby spinach salad, both were delicious. I just had water to drink for my meal and I noticed that the staff was really on top of keeping my glass full (and I was quite parched from a long day of hiking) so kudos on the excellent service. For the main course my wife had the butternut squash ravioli. I managed to trade her a ravioli for a piece of garlic bread (also delicious) and she and I agreed that it was to die for, almost tasted like a desert. She ordered the appetizer portion to go along with her large salad and thought it was a perfect portion, anything larger would have been too rich. I, on the other hand, had the chicken Parmesan with a side of linguine and meat sauce. The meat sauce was very good and had somewhat of a smoky flavor that I couldn't quite place. The chicken breast was very large but was over-cooked. It wasn't bad, but not anything I'd order again. We didn't have desert and had great service up until it was time to pay the check. It took quite a while for Travis to cash us out. Overall we received very good service throughout. We'd return again, and I'd definitely have the butternut ravioli and whatever maximizes the serving of garlic bread :)
(4)Joe N.
We dined as a group of 6 on a Saturday. After being greater promptly, we waited about 10 minutes to be seated. Pretty amazing on a busy Saturday night! The waiter, Tyson, demonstrate extreme professionalism. Tyson was ready to discuss drink specials and menu highlights the moment we were seated. He brought our drinks and several loaves of house baked bread in minutes. We also tried the calamari appetizer. Delicious! It was crispy and topped with a spicy drizzle. Our meals followed shortly. Pasta was fresh and cooked to a perfect aldente. The house sauce had a spicy flavor to it and small pieces of meat, all which elevated the dish to amazing. For desert, we had the bread pudding. It was served warm, amd quickly disappeared. When we got the bill, we were shocked of the extreme value. The level of service, quality of food, and location make this establishment a must try. Overall, Kauai Pasta Kapaa is well worth the trip!
(5)Victoria S.
My husband and I loved loved loved the food here, we are loved the pasta! Everything is so fresh and yummy! Service is great and very polite people. Place is clean and has a romantic feeling, we loved it! This should be rated to 5 stars!
(5)Arubah K.
First let's talk about the good stuff! We stopped here for dinner on our first night in Kauai and were immediately seated despite being 30 mins early for our reservation. Still I would suggest making a reservation before going in because by the time we were leaving, it was getting really packed. Food came out really quickly, we were helped several times by servers wanting to fill our water and take our plates away. They seemed to really care about our experience and that was a nice change! We got chicken parm with Alfredo sauce and truffle fries. GET THE TRUFFLE FRIES! The fries themselves are fantastic but the sauces they give you (4--ketchup, alfredo sauce, ranch, and this scintillatingly delicious orange sauce) just bring the whole thing together. The chicken parm was the best chicken parm I've ever had... The marinara was really tangy but was offset nicely by the fettuccine alfredo. Yummmm Ok couple of reasons I gave this place a 4 and not a 5: The portions are pretty small. My husband and I love to eat/have leftovers and I just think portion size is an important part to consider when rating any place. That in mind, this place was also really pricy. Most nice Italian places are, yadda yadda yadda, but you're getting small portions for a good amount of money, especially if you wanna add meat to any pasta.
(4)Aatif M.
Portion is good size. One pasta and an appetizer was enough for two of us. We ordered the pasta sampler which was great! It had Alfredo, pesto and marinara sauce and all three were quite good (Alfredo and pesto more so than marinara). Crispy calamari was so-so. Overall, it was better than we expected.
(4)Layne R.
Delicious meal with slightly sub-par service. Our dinner at Kauai Pasta was fantastic. We had some baked cheese appetizer that was delicious and calimari that was excellent. Probably my second favorite serving of calimari (which is no dig cause my #1 pick is awesome). Dinner for me was chicken parm and pasta. The chicken was meaty and juicy and breaded perfectly and great. The pasta was excellent and sauce delicious. Our only issue was service. Our waiter was very good when he was helping us. The issue was that it seemed like he was over worked, had too many tables or something. There seemed to be 2 hostess, a bus boy taking care of filling water pitchers and replacing glasses (but not refilling water glasses people were using, leaving that to the overworked waiter...) and then another waitress that I don't know where she was working... He was just spread too thin. It was just a little slow and with a few too many longer than necessary delays. If they could get that issue worked out, this place would be fantastic. If you want delicious italian food, this is a great place to go. if you are in a hurry, maybe not.
(4)Cory M.
2 locations both are grinds. Kapaa has the lounge, good vibe, super fun. Specials are always legit. Could be a nice date night or just grab a drink with buddies
(5)Emma F.
Had a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner here. The roasted corn ravioli with truffle cream sauce was the most amazing thing on the prix fixe that night. I would go again just for that ravioli. I would definitely recommend it if you want some quality Italian to get a break from plate lunches. Check this place out.
(4)Rosalina R.
Food was okay the waitress named Tori was very rude she placed my dessert hard on the table never smiled had no personality very disappointing
(3)Shawna P.
My boyfriend and I shared the chicken Parmigiana. And thankfully, we did! The plate was huge! Chicken came with marinara and we had options for sauce on the spaghetti, chose meat sauce. Everything tasted excellent. The plate came out very quickly and the only complaint is that the chicken wasn't steaming hot. It was a little cool. Still, it was a great meal.
(4)John R.
We went here on a friend recommendation and I'd say don't let the outside fool you! Looks like a hole in the wall but the food was delicious! We had a party of 6 and all of us loved our meal! They gave delicious bread w garlic butter before our meal that we all devoured too. Great service as well! Make a reservation but if not the lounge in the back is full menu and a bit nicer actually!
(5)Serena P.
I love going to this place for their lunch. Great deals. Great food. I just landed from visiting the mainland and was craving some pasta. We got there a little after lunch. A little bummed about missing their lunch specials, we ordered the bruschetta and truffle fries. They were absolutely amazing!!! I loved the flavors of the bruschetta. I will def be going back for happy hour. Ps the pesto pasta is my favorite!
(4)Christy H.
This was our last meal in Kauai after 8 days, and by far the best. Better than Tide Pills at the Hyatt, better than the Beach House in Poipu. Please stop in for what will be your favorite meal as well.
(5)Joanna M.
Very disappointing!!! Truffle fries were soggy and had little to no truffle flavor. Chicken Parmesan was just ok. Way overpriced for mediocre food!
(2)Richy D.
I love eating at Kauai pasta they have really amazing food! I love their lunch special for $10.95. Love the rib eye when they have it. It's always awesome! Truffle fries a must! Oh and the calamari.....
(5)Debbie B.
We were in the mood for Italian and saw the favorable reviews. We were early for their dinner service and were directed to the back where the bar is located. Our waitress was very friendly and we took the table in the corner. We started with the Fried Calamari which was served in a Sweet Chile Sauce which was a nice change from the Aioli that usually comes with this dish. The Calamari was crunchy and the sauce was heavenly. We both were leaning towards the Greek Pasta , so decided to share. It was Dressed in olive oil and tossed with Greek Olives, Capers, Red Dried Tomatoes and Feta Cheese. The flavors of the ingredients fused together perfectly. A couple that came in after us saw our dish and asked about it and decided to order it also. The four of us agreed that we had made the right choice! We concluded dinner with a Chocolate-Coconut Creme Brûlée. Since my husband is a master at preparing this dish, we knew we may be somewhat picky. It had a nice "crunch" to the top, however, the "Creme" wasn't as rich as we were use too. It was good, however ordinary. We would definitely eat here again and highly recommend it.
(4)Brittany C.
My husband and I dined for lunch. We tried the Caesar salad with chicken and the Panini with pesto and marinara. The food was nothing special. I do not recommend this restaurant based on the layout, service and bland food. They also serve water out of metal pitchers which makes the water tastes like aluminum.
(3)Erin M.
Really enjoyed the food. Atmosphere is ok but nothing to write home about. The butternut squash ravioli is fantastic. Homeade ravioli and large portion. I ordered the appetizer size and it was plenty with having a shared appetizer of crab cakes. Crab cakes were also very good. Only improvement would be to have them a bit more crisp and hotter. Chicken Parmesan also good. Just a little on the dry side. Overall we would return. Good food, good price.
(4)B B.
The Kapaa site is now under different ownership than the Lihue. We didn't know that and they wouldn't let us use our "Kauai Pasta" gift certificate even though it had no location on it. Before finding that out, we were seated in the lounge and found 2 cockroaches on our bench. We were moved, had very good butternut squash ravioli but VERY burnt eggplant Parmesan. The food is nothing special and this site has really let itself go. Head to Lihue if you're in the mood for pasta.
(1)john h.
I came back here in the summer of 2012. This time I ordered the pasta with sausage, it was delicious. I like the atmosphere, my wife and 6 year old son enjoyed it also. This is my go to place for pasta in Kauai.
(4)Patience F.
My son and I walked in at 7 pm on a Sunday and were seated within 10 minutes without reservations. I had sangria, which was made with fresh pineapple and fresh pineapple juice with a white wine. Very good. We split a side house salad made with feta, olives, and drizzled with balsamic, another hit. The warm bread was served with garlic butter. I has capellini pasta with basil and tomatoes and parmesan cheese, a nice light pasta dish. The pasta was creamy and smooth. My son had chicken parmesan with the meat sauce. He loves strong flavors and the meat sauce was just that - I could smell the sauce. He really enjoyed his meal. We each ordered dessert. His warm apple crisp was served in two pannikins - one was the crisp and the other contained vanilla ice cream and whipped cream, I had a popcorn flavored ice cream served on two warm cookies which were larger versions of pecan sandies. Service was wonderful, especially with all three servers being pregnant! They were working hard and getting everything done. We will be back!
(4)Kelly S.
This meal was seriously one of the best meals I have ever eaten! I am from a town on the main land that is over run by Italians, but this food takes the cake! The staff was friendly, helpful, and not over bearing! Do NOT leave this island without coming here! We came by twice in our 5 days here! It was great and oh so tasty!
(5)Trish K.
All the other 3 & 4 star yelp reviews are right on. This place was fabulous! The calamari is to die for. Warm goat cheese salad was great. Squash ravioli also terrific.. Side pasta was perfect. Loved the pesto sauce. Great friendly service. No AMEX, but that's the only downside I can think of.
(5)Amanda M.
My first yelp review; because it was THAT good! Food was incredible. I'm a picky eater and very particular about the ingredients that are used. Everything was really fresh, presentation clean and literally everything tasted amazing. Service was great, even ran into the chef that night, Ryan, who could tell me where the meat I was eating was from on the island. Staff was friendly & approachable. Totally made visitors feel like locals. Finished with the banana bread pudding-OMG!! So good.
(5)Paul H.
Great food, fair prices, and actually a pretty nice place! It doesn't look like much from the outside ("uh...if this place is sketchy inside, we'll just get it to go", I said as we drove up). It was very nicely decorated, clean, and had nice ambiance. Kauai is really expensive, but although this restaurant wasn't "cheap", we certainly got our money's worth. Plenty of food, and we actually had enough left over to take back to our condo for a pasta side for the next night's meal. Pesto chicken and the Eggplant Parmagiana were both very good. Decent price on wines by the glass. Ono!
(5)Joseph H.
I'm PAU!! Man that was good! (Pau means full for those traveling abroad, like myself.) My wife and I have been to Kauai several times, I guess it's our favorite island after being turned off by the blatant tourism of Oahu. We always say we're going to try Maui but we never get around to it. One thing that we dread on the island is the lack of quality food. Immediately Barren, one of our guide books had the audacity to brag about McDonald's establishments being a hallmark for the garden island. Bleck! Search high and low, and you might never find anything decent on Kauai. Miraculously Kauai Pasta is one of those places, and we've tried the other faux "italian" like Pizzetta's. Kauai Pasta is a place we come back to now each visit, never disappointed. One of the best things about the joint is they have something for everyone. We've dine on the cheap and they have plenty of items including house pasta with your choice sauce for around $10. These are main land prices people. What I can say, and reccomend you do, is branch out and splurge a little bit. Their specials are incredible! For the first time I decided to get a steak on the island and I was stoked! Generally I spring for good fish over here, but the tri-tip easily impressed. Complete with a tower of maui sweet onion rings I was in heaven. Little did I know that a treasure chest of garlic mashed potatoes was buried under the whole thing locked away in a bed of zucchini. You know you can go cheap ya, but the best of Kauai Pasta is a gorgeous meal. My wife ordered the prosciutto wrapped scallops and they were worth every bite. Thank goodness she was kind enough to spot my food envy and pushed one onto my plate. Unlike other people on here I think they're budget pasta is good too, and I like the sauces they heap on. One thing they can do better is to mix up the variety of the noodles, every time we've been it's the same. Never any penne, and the ravs always come in the same wide pouches you might use for crab wontons at Dukes. They're good, but I guess variety might be hard to come by on the tiny island. The place is also hard to find, it's in between a taco bell and an old workout gym. Just keep looking left at Taco Bell and you'll see a full parking lot. Regardless you won't be disappointed in Kauai Pasta, and you'll be glad you found one more island gem to return to, time and time again. Oh, and be sure to say hello to John, the owner. The spirited guy who runs the place seems to know everyone on a first name basis. It's as warm and inviting as any place you'll find, and you might just see us there.
(5)Jeanie H.
Ate here for the 1st time today and was pleasantly surprised. Eggplant parm w/pesto noodles were really yummy. House spaghetti w/brown rice noodles were good too. Calamari looked yummy but we didn't get them..maybe next time cuz we're definatly going back! Service was great too!!!
(5)Mike L.
We really liked this place pretty affordable, good service and food was very good. Relied on Yelp for the recommendation and it was good advice. Not much to look at, but we liked. Our group has salads, pasta and panini. All were good. Portions not huge but plenty for lunch. Would stop in again if we had a chance.
(5)Sean D.
I'm getting tired of writing 4-star reviews! Curse all you yelpers for doing the hard work and singling out the best restaurants so the rest of us can benefit! Solid 4-star experience. Went to both the Kapaa and Lihue locations for lunch only. NO ambiance at all, but the food more than makes up for it. The Kapaa location - only, as far as I can tell - has a great lunch special menu where you can mix 1/2 size portions of a short list of soups, salads, and sandwiches. The chicken florentine panini is outstanding - the side salads are ok, not bad. They serve a good home-brewed fruity iced tea (unsweetened). Other than that, I can't speak to the menu items. Oh, and the wine list is good - they carry two Venge vinyards offerings, and we tried one of the 2008 Scout's Honor which has a ~15% blend of Charbono - love that elusive Charbono!
(4)Jessy H.
Awesome food, reasonable prices. Definitely get your moneys worth. Drinks from the bar were good too. Probably going to be eating here often.
(5)Napoleon R.
I'd give this place 2.5 stars if I could. It was not at good as other Yelpers said. My partner and I split the fettuccine alfredo, which made the price a little more reasonable. Our server didn't know what "al dente" meant. Not a huge deal, but a little ominous. The pasta was okay. Not great, but okay. The portion was huge and we had leftovers to take home. We had truffle garlic fries for an appetizer. Those were really good. They were seriously understaffed; they really could have benefited from having someone to answer their phones and seat their guests/add guests to the wait list. I felt bad for the servers and worried about our wait time. I also felt irritated by the phone repeatedly ringing while we waited for our table and during our meal. We waited to be seated a good while, but things seemed to go fairly smoothly after that, although our server looked harried. While waiting for our food, I explored the restaurant and discovered that they have a pretty nice looking lounge with a full bar. If they'd had a host to great us, she could have sent us back there for a drink while we waited for our table. I might go back for the lounge and some fries at the bar, but I probably won't go back to the restaurant.
(3)Alisha W.
Had lunch here my last day in Kauai. All I had was a plate of Gorgonzola asparagus....It was ABSOLUTELY amazing!!! Since the asparagus was a side dish and I wanted it as my main dish the cook gave me a whole plate for the price of a side. I also had some of my husbands spaghetti with homemade meat sauce... FABULOUS!!! The other people in our party also loved their food. This place is definitely recommended while in Kauai!! Don't be fooled by the outside. The outside does not do it justice. The lunch menu is pretty great...2 items for $9.99.
(4)Heather W.
Solid food at an excellent price. A lot of people rave about the calamari. Being from NY it's probably a little unfair of me to judge, but truffle oil does not make everything it touches amazing. Don't get me wrong, the calamari was okay but it is by no means the best I've had (or even close to the best I've had). If you want truffle calamari, you can have it here. I'm happy to say, it was not very over cooked either. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the service, the cappelini pomodoro (note to the chef tho - seeing the green center of the tomato is not appetizing) and god bless the sausagey meatballs - I ate everyone of them up. The prosciutto pizza was good too but see previous note about truffle oil (it would've been fine without it). Again, can't beat the price.
(3)Kristen F.
I ate the lunch special, which had only one vegetarian option- fettuccine alfredo and spinach salad with pears, bleu cheese and raspberry vinaigrette. Nick also had the lunch special with house pasta with meat sauce and Italian sausage and beef and spaghetti If you ordered off the lunch menu, it was a "pick 2" off a list for $9.95. It was great that they included a vegetarian option on there too. Fun to have Italian even in Hawaiii!
(4)SteffAnie O.
What more can I say but the pasta was excellent! Got the grilled Pesto chicken. Sooo yummy, creamy & garlic-eeee. Mmmm! Price was exceptional! My other half got the eggplant dish with meat sauce, I swear he gulped that down in 2bites. Even the pasta off the kids menu was good! On the other hand, service could improve somewhat. Visited with 2toddlers (2&3), majority of the booths were open, but the hostess set us up for thee 1 regular table. :/ didn't offer a booster seat or highchair either. The glasses of water had no ice in them. We asked for "iced water", the hostess came with 1 cup and just placed it on the table and left. So overall, thankfully the food made up for the little negs. & surely will try them out again.
(4)Tammy M.
Four stars the family vote is. I ordered the warm goat arugula salad, it was just that and tomatoes. I didn't like the warm goat cheese, it tasted burnt and flavored with a seared oil of some kind. Okay will not visit again for any craving. Service here was really nice and comfy
(4)Joy S.
If you are looking for solid Italian food this place delivers. The service is fast the food was delish done deal.
(4)Rhonda D.
Based on ratings in Yelp and a book - Kaua'i Underground, we went there for dinner. Two of us had the house pasta with meat sauce - it was wonderful! One had chicken parm who rated it wonderful. The other had fettuccini Alfredo and it, too, got a wonderful. We had fabulous appetizer - truffle, parmesan French fries. The portions are big (two of the four of us took left overs with us). We liked it so well, we went back another day for lunch. They offer a "Mix 'n Match." You can get any two items on the list for $9.95 - great deal. My husband had house pasta (1/2 order which is a large serving) and a salad. Our server, Gabe (dinner) was great and our server for lunch (didn't get her name) was great. Our lunch server was a native of Kaua'i who had recently gotten married; we had a nice conversation about places to visit, etc. If you like Italian food - this is a great find!!
(5)Kyle M.
I'm throwin' this one in the 3-to-4 range, but settling with the 3 based on price. You're going to end up spending a pretty penny here for the quality of your meal. The calamari appetizer is outstanding. The eggplant parmesan is kinda blah. I'd recommend it if you're eating family style.
(3)Ben O.
TL; DR: Very good pasta dishes. A worthy change-up from Hawaiian seafood. I had the house pasta with meat sauce (marinara with beef & mushrooms) and added some grilled shrimp. Caesar salad to start. Glass of (red) zinfandel. Girlfriend had the Pesto. Everything was really good. Not mind-blowing, but I was very pleased with the meal and thought it was a good value, especially considering how expensive Kauai can be. Parking lot is tiny. Main dining room is a little dated and was probably awesome 20 years ago. Staff is super friendly, knowledgeable, and appropriately attentive.
(4)Mariah S.
I love love pasta, and kauai pasta was so good, everyone in The group from meat eaters to vegans loved this place! Great service and awesome food. Will for sure return on my next trip to kauai
(5)Carole R.
Highly recommend this place. Loved the lunch special where you can pick 2 dishes! Also had a side order of their fries made w/ truffle oil and several dipping sauces ...made me feel like I was in France or Belgium!! Very delish!!! Cream of asparagus soup was excellent, too!
(5)David C.
The pasta was great. It was all well cooked. The alfredo sauce was excellent, and the pesto was great with the mac nuts blended in. If I had walked in alone and ordered the "sampler" pasta plate on another night besides Saturday, I could have possibly thought this restaurant deserved 5 stars. Minus one star for the slow service. We sat for an hour before we received our entrées. The waiter apologized for the slow service, but still, that doesn't change the fact that one of our parties chicken parmigiana was barely warm when it was delivered to the table. One person ordered eggplant parmigiana with fettuccine alfredo on the side. The eggplant parm was just average, and did not live up to the fettuccine side. (It really was a great cream sauce) They asked if mushrooms could be added to the fettucini side, and the waitress asked if they wanted regular sliced or portobello. The addition of one portobello mushroom cost $6.95; something to be aware of. Adding chicken to the sampler was an excellent idea. (and only $5). The sampler could have been improved if the sauce was not poured on in strips like shaved ice. Other Italian restaurants where I have ordered a trio of sauces have kept the noodles separate, allowing the diner to enjoy each flavor individually. I prefer this, because it was served with spaghetti, and at the end, as with shaved ice, there was just a brownish identifiably flavored mixture. OTHER: Plus factor: I always like it when a restaurant has more than 5 beers on tap. They had a nice assortment. The decor in the second room is nicer than the first. Reservations accepted for parties 6 or larger. Last note: Parking can be difficult/crazy. It is awkward when people are passive aggressively maneuvering to obtain parking spots and then have to sit next to each other in the restaurant.
(3)Richard R.
Don't let appearances fool you, this restaurant is outstanding. The calamari appetizer was the best we ever had. I had the butternut squash ravioli, to die for. My wife had the pesto pasta, if you like garlic, don't miss this dish. Service was good and friendly. You do have to ask for bread (its garlic bread).
(5)Tom T.
brutal service...waitress talked to everyone but the customers...pasta was under cooked spahgetti sauce was straght out of a senior citizens home, cock roach on wall and dirty wine glass. calamari very chewey but sauce was good, pesto sauce was also good. did I mention service was terrible
(1)John M.
Make reservations for dinner. It can be very busy during the summer and on weekends. Even with reservations you may still have to wait a bit. (Remember, island time.) But once we were seated they worked hard to apologize and make up for the wait and make us comfortable. The server gave great recommendations and the food was everything it's touted to be. They have a remarkable wine (and bar) list. The menu demonstrates the chef's creativity with typical Italian fare with a local Kauai flair. I had the homemade (spinich ricotta) ravioli. It was rich and delicious. Kauai Pasta was recommended to me by a local as one of the best in Kapa'a and I can see why. The only drawbacks I can state are: busy restaurant, limited parking and not the greatest ambience (kinda plain). But... the food and service shined!!!
(4)Genny H.
"We came to this restaurant on advice from Yelp and our hotel front desk. The food was wonderful and the staff very friendly and efficient. We liked it so much we came back again the night before we had to leave. Both nights we had the Brursseta (sp) every thing about it was FRESH. The Butternut Squash Ravioli is fabulous but rich so the appetizer portion is perfect. Great Spinach Salad and the Chicken Marsala was a dream.
(4)M W.
This place is great! The only trick is finding it on the main road hidden behind the Taco Bell. We both had the pasta lunch special ($9.95 including pasta a side @ a drink). The service was friendly & this is easily the best deal on Kauai. You will be sorry if you miss this one!
(5)Alexis S.
The food here was amazing. We went here twice while in town. We tried the pasta marinara and the pesto pasta. For dessert we had cheesecake and pot de creme. All of it was good. Great prices, too, for what we got. The only downside is that we had to wait a bit for a table. I recommend getting there early or waiting until eight PM.
(5)Rachel A.
Drinks were a little spendy, but done well. Our bartender was fantastic, great service, drink recommendations and gave us some wonderful suggestions for the area. Besides drinks, we just got their truffle parmesan fries which came with 4 sides - all homemade. A ketchup, alfredo (delicious with fries), ranch and roasted red pepper compote. They were all delicious. The ketchup was more on the side of marinara, but it was still tasty.
(4)Mihir M.
Service was good, though we asked to be moved from the bar area due to it being colder there. Emily & Katie provided good service. Between 3 of us, the fettuccine alfredo, greek pasta, kailani farm field greens, virgin pina colada & virgin mojito were more than enough. The food was good.
(4)Frederick S.
As a chef and restaurant owner, here's my opinion: this is a failed attempt at fine dining. The estimate of our wait for a table was off by 30 minutes, the table wasn't set the same for each diner, the menus needed to be reprinted and were water-stained, the nightly features weren't offered until requested, the waitstaff seemed more interested in hugging locals than taking care of all the guests, our waitress couldn't open the wine, the busboy couldn't water or clear properly, my food was overly salty, my wife's was under-seasoned, there was no "thank you, please, sorry, or good-bye. I would have offered this information as constructive criticism, but got the feeling that no-one would care.
(2)Barbara N.
Calamari & artichoke bruschetta was plentiful. Calamari was crisp & delicious. We were the 1st ones in there but was ignored until we called the waitress. Wait staff could use some customer service education, otherwise food is good.
(4)greg c.
We have eaten here for the last two years now. And we have not been disappointed yet. They are very friendly and they have wonderful food! It's just a little place right next to taco bell. You have to try the parmesan fries, they are to die for!
(5)Sandy D.
Read the reviews and decided to come here for dinner with my 8 year old and 3 year old. We were greeted right away and chose a booth in the corner. The hostess brought a water cup for my son along with crayons and the child's menu. We ordered the keiki pizza $6 (for two triangular pieces of foccacia bread with some sauce and cheese) keiki pasta with meat sauce (more sauce than pasta) $8 for this tiny bowl. I had the eggplant parmesan and husband had the lasagna. We ordered the calamari appetizer which was okay. It was a little tough and chewy and covered, but the kids were hungry and ate it up. That took about 10 minutes to come out. My son was hungry and getting grumpy. The food does not come out fast here and it wasn't that busy. Another 20 minutes later only the lasagna and keiki pizza came out. My son enjoyed his pizza. The lasagna was okay... said my husband, but my eggplant parmesan had absolutely no taste like another reviewer mentioned. My daughter's pasta was flooded with meat sauce and barely any pasta so she had to eat the bread that came with my meal. My husband's sauce is better. Service: the hostess was nice, but I noticed that she gave bread to another table seated next to us with children and they received their food right after us and they were seated after our appetizer. We didn't get any bread. Our waitress was polite, and came back to check on us, but when you have to wait a long time for food, it doesn't help. How long does it take to pour some meat sauce over pasta that's already been cooked? Or to heat up some cheese on a bread? Definitely not on my place of return list.
(2)Alicia L.
We had a fantastic, family friendly meal. Great food, great service (thank you katie), reasonably priced for Kauai. The ambiance is lacking but the food and service make up for it! Try the butternut squash ravioli with bacon and candied pecans, yum!!!
(4)Max P.
We were in Kauai for a week, and we have been eating Hawaiian food non stop. So, we decided it would be nice to get some good Italian food. O boy, this place was poppin'! Be prepare to wait! It's not a big restaurant but it is nicely decorated. We decided to order some take out instead of waiting for a table. I ordered the chicken parmigiana with garlic bread and it was delicious! This is definitely a great place to eat when you are not in the mood for Hawaiian BBQ food.
(4)Becky R.
My family and I ate at Kauai Pasta after 5 days on the island full of several just okay or terrible meals. Kauai Pasta was such an awesome find. The servers were attentive, knowledgable and sooo kind. The staff accommodated our party of ten so quickly and were extremely warm towards us; it is a small restaurant and i know it's not easy to make room for 10 tourists with little notice. The pesto pasta was the best thing at our table fore sure! So fresh and delicious! The mussels and capellini were killer as well. They also have a fantastic wine list. Thank you Kauai Pasta for such a great night :)
(5)Chad F.
Wow, this place has some great dishes. We started out with a coconut basil mojito (good but not overly sweet) and then an asian salad with kukui nut vinegarette and fresh ono (delicious). Next I had the marinara pasta (nice) and my wife the Greek pasta (super nice). I would recommend the Greek pasta as it was very flavorful and unique. Then we brought home the banana bread pudding and it was also fantastic. The garlic bread is good and the service was great. The only bad thing is it gets busy early here so plan accordingly by making reservations or coming early.
(5)Derek N.
Herb Grilled Ribeye was the special this evening with creamy mash, marinated Kauai cherry tomatoes, grilled asparagus, black truffle compound butter, burgundy reduction & caramel iced shallot Demi glacé...AMAZING!
(5)Ryan S.
Decent italian food, pizzas are by far the best thing going. Good break from island food.
(3)Steven O.
Delicious marinara sauce, tomato bruchetta, and butternut squash ravioli.
(4)David T.
After a day and a half of bad food, was so pleased with the food here. Everything was fresh and my linguini with clams was very good.
(4)John G.
Very good for the whole family. Must get dessert.
(4)Snehal S.
Ultimate place to eat! The chef is SUPER! We were able to get Jain food as he creatively made dishes for us from scratch and they were so delicious! To get vegetarian food without any kind of root vegetables is amazing! The chef took time out of his busy schedule ...and rest of the staff were amazingly friendly and helpful! They really treated us royally!
(5)Melanie H.
I am craving Italian food right now and ALL I WANT IS KAUAI PASTA!!!!!!! It doesn't look like much when you first pull up but, OH MY GOD everything was so good! From the cocktails to the waitress! We ordered the calamari...EPIC....I had the Fresh Clam Linguine....EPIC... I have never had such FRESH TASTING clams before..my husband ordered the veal marsala unfortunately they were out of veal so he got the chicken but still it was....EPIC...if you are looking for some yummy Italian food, go to Kauai Pasta!!!!!!! You will not be disappointed!
(5)Dana P.
Came here for lunch last week while on vacation. Was a bit alarmed because NO ONE else was in the restaurant, but I'm glad that I stopped in. It's not the best that I have had by any means, but it's a solid Italian meal that was worth what I paid. My mom had the lasagna with meat sauce, my boyfriend had a chicken pesto panini, and I had the pesto pasta. While all were good, my mother's lasagna was the best of the three dishes. Made me wish that I had ordered that instead! My pesto pasta, while good, was not pesto as I was used to it (as pointed out by another Yelper). I also prefer a creamier pesto, and have never really had one that did not seem to be a paste. Server was nice and attentive, though I am not sure how he couldn't be as we were the only customers at the time. Would return when Kauai again.
(4)Mike F.
Good service. Clean atmosphere. Large portions. Food was good.
(4)William E.
Ate here for lunch. Spinach was bitter (panini and artichoke dip). Way too much mozzarella (artichoke dip and lasagna). Garlic bread was rubbery. Ginger ale homemade but not gingery. Not sure what all the hype is about.
(2)WildAngel S.
We ate here twice during our trip, once for dinner and again for lunch. Ordered the house pasta with meat sauce. The meat sauce is outstanding!!! You get a good size portion at a decent price. When we went back for lunch we ordered the truffle parmesan fries. The best fries I ever ate!!!! Wonderful twist on a standard. The staff was great both times, very friendly and attentive.
(5)Ryan D.
This place is awesome! After trying Cafe Portofino next to Dukes, I was a little bummed about Italian food available in Kauai. After trying Kauai Pasta, I am a firm believer that Kauai does offer some quality Italian food! We had the fetticinni alfredo with chicken, and the chicken parmesan. Both were awesome. My salad and bread were both awesome too! My son had a pasta dish off the kids menu and went to town on it...all over his face! We were glad to find this place on our last night in Kauai!
(4)Allison L.
Really a find! We all really enjoyed the food - no misses here. The dishes were fresh and had large portions. Would highly recommend.
(4)Chuck M.
Great menu. LARGE portions. Only downside.......VERY salty.....which takes away from would be a VERY flavorful meal. We'll give it another try but will question the salt issue before ordering.
(3)Carolyn B.
I stopped in this place not expecting much except some decent Italian food and was blown away. The food here was exceptionally good. After speaking with the waitress we found that the owner and current chefs are former chefs that defected from Roy's Hawaiian Restaurant in Poipu. You can definitely tell by the originality in the menu that it is not an ordinary pasta place. Don't let the decor deceive you. We went to the one in Kapaa. There is also one in Lihue that is under the same ownership. I would go back here in a heartbeat.
(4)No B.
Creative, non traditional Italianate dishes. The food is excellent and the menu is fairly extensive, however don't expect flavors like Nonna used to make. Do expect a really good meal. Everything is good, the salads and pasta are huge and the pizzettas a perfect for one person with a good appetite. The wine list (by the bottle and/or a glass) could be more interesting. Food service is average and friendly. Drink service can be a bit slow. Kauai Pasta place is popular with visitors and island residents alike so a short wait may occur during peak dining hours. Open for lunch too!
(4)panda m.
Super excellent. Our waiter was totally knowledgeable on gluten-free menu items and happy to accomodate special requests. Food was excellent including local island foods. We visited Kauai Pasta several times for dinner.
(5)Francine N.
AMAZING FOOD!!! Everything on the menu is Great!! Service is great!!!
(5)Maggie H.
Stopped here on our way back from hiking the Pihea trail in Waimea - they did not look askance at our sartorial condition which was appreciated given how tired and hungry we were. The space is small and intimate. The food was all good - not great - put together attractively. We started with Calamari which had a nice light breading, though the meat itself was a little tough on some pieces. The kids meals were typical, the adult portions are HUGE so plan to share - one portion can easily feed two, three if you also share a salad and appetizer. I would go back, though not after exploring more...
(3)Nathan V.
The locals get it: this place is good. Located in a strip mall next to Taco Bell, you would never guess by driving by that the food is so solid. We had an antipasti plate that came with fresh mozzarella, manchego, fresh tomatoes and grilled asparagus... My friend had Pesto and I had just a simple Spaghetti with pomodoro sauce (plus Chicken) and both were really good. All together the bill was around $40. Exactly the carb load we needed from hiking all afternoon. There's also take out. Check them out.
(4)pete h.
This place is decent, surely it's not the best pasta place you'll ever eat at but it's a nice break if all you've been having is meat/rice and mac salad. The place is pretty busy, it's located in a strip mall behind the main street so it can be easily missed. In fact we drove right by it and had to turn around to look for it again the first time we visited. The pasta included garlic toast which was a nice touch. I ordered the spaghetti with meatballs which was quite good and our friend ordered the chicken parmigiana which he said was very good. We had to get take out because the place was so busy!
(3)Thelma Lee G.
We went to this place three times during our stay with three different sets of friends. All were happy to very happy. I liked the service (we had Justin or Jason...can't remember...sorry, J!). The caprese was among the best we had ever had. Really excellent with reduced balsamic. The crab cakes were very good. The bruschetta was good but it's only bread and tomatoes after all.... They use locally grown produce...all the other tomatoes we had on the trip were under-ripe, hot house specimens so this was impressive. The spinach salad was fantastic; my husband and others really liked it. Nicely balanced, with pears and candied pecans. The first night we were lucky enough to get a special ravioli dish. Ravioli is not on the regular menu, unfortunately. But the Greek pasta was highly flavorful, the pesto was good (not my favorite..I like it a little creamier but others liked it), and the pomodoro...well, I don't know what it's supposed to be like, but this rendition was really good. Great ingredients. The only problem is how to make those tomatoes evenly disperse with the capellini (can't be done....). I do agree that the marinara needs work! YES, too much oregano. Not fully flavored and very two dimensional (tomato sauce and oregano). Not worth ordering in my opinion. Okay, this isn't fair but...we got a complimentary tiramisu the last night and I didn't like it. Admittedly it isn't my favorite but this baby was soggy to the point of watery! We would go back, try and get specials, avoid the marinara and dessert (usually too full anyway), and just enjoy the happiness of the place.
(4)gary s.
We have come to Kauai every year for 28 years. We have passed by this place for I don't know how long. We looked at yelp and saw great reviews so away we went. We ate here twice in a week. It was great! I should give 5 stars.......I am not sure why I'm not??
(4)S L.
Great service and great food!! The yummiest salad: Baby spinach with feta cheese and candied pecans drizzled with raspberry vinaigrette. Oh yea and sliced pear! It just all goes so well. You should also try the fried calamari. Its not what you think and its not the salt and peppered calamari that you would expect. The whole fillet is fried and the battered is not too thick but just enough where it gives flavor. Must try! Great service is rare and this place has it.
(5)Gina W.
We went here after many locals and personal friends recommended it. It was good... Not OMG wow like many said. But then again I'm married to a french chef. But it was good. Prices are reasonable, between $10-15 for pasta, the pasta is store bought but sauces are made in house. Definatly worth it if u are craving pasta. The service kinda stinks... Just un responsive, in a hurry, but friendly. There tiramasu cheesecake is really really good! Worth it so save room. The pesto pasta with shrimp was good but needed salt. The house pasta my hubby got was ok, but I don't care for red sauce. He said it's acceptable. The crabless crab cakes were good... But crabless. The caprese was good didn't need any salt but I asked for pepper... Had the service been better I woukd have rated 3.5/4
(3)Alison H.
Kauai Pasta: 4 stars for Kauai pasta, 3 stars if you compare it to all the pasta I've ever eaten in other places. Garlic bread was great, the Caesar salad has too much dressing just like it does at a lot of places (and about a hundred croutons in mine), and I got the sampler pasta with alfredo, marinara, and pesto. The pesto was actually very good, 4-star worthy, but the marinara I didn't like at all (my plate at the end of the meal was like one red stripe leftover). It was heavy on the oregano. If you like marinara like that, then go for it. I like marinara that's sweeter with the plummier tomatoes. My husband got the pomodoro with shrimp. This dish was very uncool because it was not actually a pomodoro sauce. It would have been great if they were just advertising it as garlic, oil, tomato, and a bit of basil on top of pasta, but they clearly specified pomodoro, and in case you were wondering what the difference is between marinara and pomodoro, pomodoro is supposed to be less chunky. Well, this was not tomato sauce at all, it was just pieces of tomato on pasta. Unfortunate because my husband doesn't like tomato. I let him steal some of the marinara I had so that he wouldn't just be eating plain pasta. Maybe I couldn't have told you that detail about pomodoro sauce before I just Googled it, but I knew it was supposed to be sauce, and this restaurant is a fairly upscale Italian place so they should know that too. On the up-side, when my husband asked the waitress about an asparagus pesto and what that was like, she came back a minute later with a little ramikin of the sauce for him to try. That's awesome! I've been to a lot of restaurants and never gotten a sauce sample that way. Strangely enough our waitress did not seem that attentive otherwise and about 5 other waitstaff were helping her out most of the time. This place is fine for a nice Italian dinner but it is not great.
(3)aloha-ellen m.
Wow... although the comments about the ambiance ate correct... the food was excellent. I had the pesto grilled chicken and my husband had the pasta sampler with meatballs, and we both had the green side salad. Tender chicken, great Italian meatballs, and perfect pasta. The balsamic vinegrette was just the slightest bit sweet. Nothing bad to say at all.
(4)Kimber C.
finally! order a full salad, get a half size pasta! after ordering our an app and a salad I inquired about simply getting a half size portion of my favorite pasta. Said to charge me whatever, but I just can't eat it all. It was my lucky day (and on my birthday! what are the odds?). The kapa'a location was now selling half sizes. prosecco. bruschetta. caesar. alfredo. and a special liqueured home-made chocolate ice cream. fantastic every time. and I leave full, every time.
(5)Aaron B.
Went there for lunch on my last day in Kauai. Lunch is served in the bar/lounge area. Great atmosphere, the food was super yummy. I had their $10 lunch pick two, a Caeser Salad and the House Pasta. Top if off with a delicious Bloody Mary and you got yourself the perfect lunch! Great service as well :)
(5)Janet P.
a MUST when in Kauai
(5)Duke N.
I've been to the Kapaa restaurant twice for lunch and once for dinner. The service was consistently pleasant each time. I prefer the Kapaa location better than Lihue for both the food and the service, but the separate bar and lounge area is an added bonus. The truffle fries are always a winner with 4 dipping sauces. After a very bad experience at another popular restaurant left us searching for another place to dine, Kauai Pasta turned a disappointing night into a very pleasant experience. The server was very helpful in making recommendations from the menu and was very attentive. They even offer crayons and coloring sheets to keep the little ones entertained. The grilled shrimp with pesto pasta was my dinner that night but I also enjoy their chicken parmesan. They are always my go-to dishes, but I also like their selection of specials that changes nightly. For dessert the chocolate creme brulee is also very nice. What would have been a 4 star rating became a 5 star rating because Kauai Pasta left us feeling great!
(5)LuckieMaounds P.
Pesto sauce was really fantastic, as was service. So why two stars? Started with caesar salad which had too much dressing (resulting in limp leaves and soggy croutons - wonder how long this was sitting on the counter in the kitchen before I ordered it?) The wine list was short and had too many Santa Barbara selections on it (six?) and only one French, and just a couple Greek and Italian. Pizza size is not indicated on the menu; when it came to the table it was about an inch larger than a Lean Cuisine pizza and had no red sauce (this was not specified on the menu and was not considered a "white" or otherwise pizza). I couldn't decide between Alfredo or pesto. Luckily, there is a "sampler" dish that serves both of those plus marinara. Unfortunately, they give you one part white sauce, one part green, and two parts red sauce. The green was definetly the best, made with local basil, italian parsley, and of course plenty of pine nuts. This dish is spaghetti which was kind of lame as I didn't care to mix my red with my white nor my red with my green sauces, but it would inadvertently happen due to the length of the pasta. Next time I come here, I will order the pesto alone. Maybe add some grilled shrimp to it. And skip the salad.
(2)Amanda S.
I had the eggplant parmesan with the alfredo pasta on the side. Absolutely amazing! My husband had never tried eggplant before and tried mine- he liked my dish more than his. He got the House Pasta which was very flavorful. The spinach ms artichoke dip was fabulous! Very good Italian food if you need a break from all the Hawaiin cuisine! You will not be disappointed with this place!
(5)J F.
Delicious! Best meal we have had out while here. Lasagna was great.. alot of ricotta but easy for me to take some out. Meat sauce was divine. We started with bruscetta and it was yummo! My husband didn't care for his Alfredo but thought the chicken and pesto was good. Minestrone was very good and entree salad looked great. Pizza also got good reviews, extra thin crust. My daughter had butter noodles and she devoured them. Great prices for what you get and great selections for adults and kids. Sit in the middle room if you can, front room very dark and bar looked nice, but was super cold after dark. Wish we had this place in our town!!
(5)Toni F.
We went to Kauai Pasta after reading all the reviews. We had kind of had our fill of fish tacos and decided to try something different. The restaurant in Kapaa was very hard to find based on the google map shown on the website, but we finally located it. Staff was very friendly, and the food was pretty good, especially considering there is no large Italian population on Kauai (I was probably one of the few Italians on the island). The crispy calamari lived up to its reputation - it was very good,and the pastas in our other dishes were cooked al dente. My boyfriend had the pasta of the day which was some kind of sausage pasta that was very rich, almost like a puttanesca but richer, and I had the white clam pasta. It was very okay, but needed more garlic. I wish we had been served bread to sop up some of the sauce. The salads that other tables had ordered look very fresh and good. The ambiance is, shall we say, rustic, and except for a small cockaroach that made its way across our table at the end of our meal, was adequate. We mentioned the cockaroach to our waitress and she said the road work they were doing outside the restaurant was uncovering a lot of bugs. I don't freak out at small bugs but it was something we hadn't ordered....
(3)Brian L.
We ended up having dinner at this spot on a recommendation from a time share presenter. If you drive by the restaurant, you might not even notice it as there is not a huge, lit sign on the outside. It's a very hidden place but pretty good. We shared a spinach salad and it was a very generous portion. Tasty, but a bit too much dressing on it. I loved the huge chunks of cheese though!. I had the pasta trio and my GF had the fettuchine alrfredo. Large portions as well and great flavor as well. The pesto is a bit oily but the cream sauce is right on. The atmosphere was great too. Not too quiet, not too loud, great service, attentive, and responsive. Parking is a bit sketchy and tough to make turns on the busy road. The pricing is a bit high for a small pasta restaurant but that could be due to being on an island.
(3)Carlo X.
I'm a big fan of osso buco and when I saw this pork version on the menu I had to go for it. The pork was tender and slid off the bone. Good balance of flavor and texture and liked the mashed potatoes and asparagus the came with it. The wine could have been better but overall good experience and would definitely go back.
(4)Melissa E.
Went here twice during our 7 day vacation for dinner...got there at 5:15pm no wait. I ordered Greek pasta and my husband ordered the pesto pasta, we both loved our dishes...so filling and basically a flavor explosion...we will miss you Kauai Pasta until our next visit!
(5)Tiffany B.
kauai pasta LOUNGE is pretty cool. We are regulars there! perfect pau hana drink spot. it's probably one of the only places that will serve food till midnight, till 1am on weekends, which is very rare here on kauai! i am a fan of their ginger kamakazi maritinis. and any where that serves a girl EDMEADES with just one glass is an instant fav! foods good, calamari and baked potato pizza.... BF loves the filet mignon loco moco. one thing i notice about Kauai pasta is QUALITY! prices are reasonable
(4)Mary O.
Servers were very friendly. The food was excellent. Had bruschetta, it was great, it had a nice fresh balsamic drizzle. I had the Eggplant Parmesan which was very good and the Alfredo sauce on the pasta- which was out of this world! My boyfriend had the lasagna which was also good. The Ghiradelli chocolate desert was also amazing! Note- it was very crowded on Friday night at 9pm but the wait was only 20 minutes.
(5)Valerie R.
So let me say that the food is delicious. The warm goat cheese and arugula salad with in house made raspberry vinaigrette. I order this every single time I go. I am a member of the clean plate club. I have them add chicken breast which is perfectly cooked- moist and not dry with just the right amount of char from the grill. The little pan seared goat cheese balls must come from heaven and paired with the local tomato and greens. Yum! They offer brown rice pasta- which i appreciate. The pesto is good as well...a mac nut pesto. My favorite is the Greek Pasta. My boyfriend loves their Rib eye and in house made sausage. Ok SO why not 5 stars? Service is spotty, I've had really great experiences there and I've also walked out. Kinda like I'm so pissed it took forever to get greeted and flag down someone to take my order then it takes forever but when I taste the food...I forgive them:) I consider myself a regular. The pros out weigh the cons. I'm a picky eater but I tip well being a bartender. 5 stars food. 3-4 star service. I kinda know which waiters to avoid.
(4)Brianna P.
Great food and great service... Amazing food with high end resteraunt quality.. - the high end resteraunt price. 50$ for 2 main entered, salad and appetizer!! A must go in Kauai
(5)Phx A.
Pretty par for italian places. Ordered fettucine alfredo ($12) and eggplant parmesian ($16). Fettucine needed more flavoring, was pretty bland. I heard the eggplant was better.
(3)Mikala S.
I'm not a huge pasta fan but I liked Kauai Pasta...we were there about a year ago and liked enough we went there a second time during our one-week stay. They had a great beer selection, which was a big plus for me. Prices were moderate and service was very good.
(4)lonni f.
Excellent food and very friendly & prompt service.
(4)Hunter O.
a great on island friend brought us here one night for dinner. the service was great we sat in the back were the bar is.. the gal was super nice. the flavor of my meal was real good. but my meat was over cooked a bit. it was still very taste and i went a head and ate it with out complaint. the portions are huge at this place the wife and kiddo would have had a ton of left overs if they would have both spilled them while trying to fill the to go boxes at the same excate time..yep yep.. not a bad place at all i would return soon if i lived here. they also have a super comfy couch in the bar to sit and chill out and have drinks on.
(4)