Kauai has its share of excellent eateries, from casual local fare to upscale oceanfront restaurants. While you’ll want to be sure to set aside some days for special meals dining out, you’ll also find that some of Kauai’s hidden local gems also offer some of the best food for picking up and bringing to your chosen location to enjoy. Whether planning for an oceanside picnic or takeout to enjoy in the privacy of your vacation rental, Pono Market offers up excellent local food for breakfast and lunch.
The Menu at Pono Market
Pono Market is a casual deli situated in a historic building along Kapaa’s main thoroughfare, offering local style plates. Deli cases and coolers display the day’s options, with additional specialties listed on a blackboard menu. While you won’t find seating in this small deli, your food will be served up in takeout containers to be enjoyed at one of the many nearby white sand beaches. Well-loved by residents and visitors alike, you’ll find that Pono Market is busy even when it opens early in the morning, which is when you’ll want to arrive if you hope to try some of their fresh poke.
Pono Market offers up a variety of traditional Hawaiian foods, such as kalua pig and lau lau, which consists of cooked taro leaves with a filling of cooked pork. Poke (pronounced (poh-KAY) is also a local favorite, and Pono Market is a good place to try several styles. Poke is the Hawaiian word meaning to cut crosswise into pieces, describing the way the fish is prepared. Poke consists of raw fish, usually ahi, mixed with sea salt, seaweed, and limu. While this is its traditional preparation, you’ll also find a wide variety of creative spins on the traditional recipe, such as shrimp, avocado, scallops, and spicy ahi, among others. Pono Market offers a wide variety of options. Order a poke bowl, which adds rice to make it a full meal!
This deli also serves up coffee as well as ice cream, so your cravings are covered from the early morning hours until they close just after lunchtime.
Planning Your Visit to Pono Market
Pono Market is located in Kauai’s east coast town of Kapa’a at 4-1300 Kuhio Hwy. They are open from Monday to Saturday from 6am-2pm and are closed on Sundays.
Contact Us
Still in need of Kauai accommodations? Our Kauai vacation rentals are situated along the island’s east coast, with convenient proximity to the shops and restaurants of Kapa’a. Contact us at Premier Kauai Vacation Rentals to learn more!
