Island Taco is the perfect lunch spot en route to Waimea Canyon. Located on the south side of Kauai, about 30 minutes from Waimea Canyon, island taco has great food and fast and friendly service. Lots of gluten free and vegan options that are safe for celiac!
The woman at Island Taco was extremely knowledgeable about gluten cross-contamination and she directed me on how to order so as to be safe! I ordered the mahi mahi tacos on corn tortillas with salsa and refried beans instead of chips (the chips are fried in a fryer with gluten). The tacos were delicious, flavorful, and loaded with cabbage, rice, and mahi! The refried beans were flavorful and creamy. Delicious and satisfying lunch before a day of hiking!
My two friends ordered the tofu burritos which were delicious! My one friend is vegan and was happy that the tofu and beans and rice were all vegan!
With fast and friendly service, it was so refreshing to eat at a spot that was so understanding of dietary restrictions.
There are covered picnic tables outside, so you can enjoy your tacos in the island breeze. Highly recommend Island Taco!
The food and environment were great, a bit on the pricier side, but guess this is normal for Hawaii. Wanna give a big shout-out to our server Nathan who accomandated my boyfriend's food allergies so well! Not only did he take the effort to communicate multiple rounds with the kitchen to make sure the food is allergen-free, give recommendations, he also went above-and-beyond and offered us both regular & gluten free bread, and helped divide the steak for us to share. Nathan was super friendly and gave us tips of travelling in Hawaii too. Thank you Nathan for your amazing service!
On allergies: many GF options or food that can be modified for be GF. Gluten & soy free options are a bit more challenging
Their “gluten free” options not safe for celiacs. 2 stars as most people in the party enjoyed the taste, but the celiac one got quite sick after eating here a “gluten free” dinner.
We tried FORC before and hated it but figured we’d give it another chance. This time it was more mixed.
We loved the poke, it was poisson cru so the flavor was unique and refreshing.
My miso butterfish was cooked perfectly but it was pretty bland. The sides were a plain boiled potato and some rock hard squash. The menu says this dish is gluten free but you have to specifically ask for it to be prepared that way. This is frustrating because if I hadn’t asked about the tempura flakes I wouldn’t have known and would have gotten sick. Maybe the regular version is more flavorful and they just omitted the sauces/spices. It’s a shame because the butterfish was so tender so the dish could have been amazing.
My husband liked his beef rib lau lau but half of it was fat and it was giving more of an irish beef stew vibe than lau lau.
Service was definitely lacking because they were understaffed so everything took forever. Not the server’s fault but annoying nonetheless.
Idk if I’d give it another go, maybe for drinks and apps but the pricing is similar to Merriman’s and their food quality is more reliable.
If you're not staying at this resort, skip this restaurant. It was fine but it wasn't that special. You're really paying for the view and the ambiance. The food was fine, but for the price it wasn't really that great. It was simple, not special and the portions were very small. I was initially excited about this place since they mentioned all dishes can be made gluten free, but some of them just could not. So it was fine, but I would skip it.
Great for vegetarian and gluten free diets! The taro and mushroom patties are both good and gluten free buns are better than most! The root beer is really good too. You can order ahead so you don’t have to wait.
A Mazing!!!!
One of the best meals I have ever had! Lilikoi Chicken Curry!!!! Dairy free Gluten free! DELICIOUS!
The cocktails we wonderful my husband loved the shrimp pasta. We will be back!
**Food Poisoning** We were so looking forward to dining here, it was the final meal of our incredible vacation. The location is gorgeous and our server was attentive. I was disappointed that only a couple dishes could be made gluten free for me and both my husband and son felt that the 3 small pieces of ahi were just not enough for entree portions. In hindsight, I'm glad they only had 3 pieces; just hours after our meal, my son became violently sick. He vomited all through the night. Such a disappointing way to end our vacation.
I have to give some love to this place as their food was absolutely amazing especially for someone looking for gluten free options. This photo isn’t the best, but it does show their gluten free bread substitution which is obviously next level with the seeds. It felt homemade or at least locally made with high quality ingredients. I was honestly expecting udi’s or some other crappy gf substitute, but this bread was amazing! I got the MOA sandwich and the pesto on it was Divine! I also had their matcha latte which was very good as well. I also saw but did not try a lot of their vegan and gluten free baked goods in the case. Also, I have never had sweet potato salad before here. It was so yummy! 5 stars for this cute little spot!
I live in Waimea and I always recommend Pau to everyone. From fresh baked bread, pizza slices, salads, desserts, and drinks that are ready to pick up and go- to the tacos and burritos that they make quickly, I know it has something for everyone- whether you can't have gluten (like me- but I LOVE the tacos, salads and desserts!) or if you are vegan or vegetarian like my friend- I know I can bring anyone here and they will find something they like. Casual relaxed dining, with a fun atmosphere kids and families as well as friends will love.
Such great service from Gina and her team. In spite of not having a gluten free menu, they gladly toasted my GF bread that I’d brought all the way from Australia, buttered it and served it with the most delicious bacon ever. The coffee was good too! Well worth a brekky here before the rigours of bushwalking in the Waimea Canyon.
The food was solid overall, especially the BBQ chicken, which was tender, juicy, and not dry at all.
Ordering is done through a QR code, so there’s limited chance to ask questions upfront. I spoke with staff to confirm gluten-free options due to Celiac and nut allergies. I was told the BBQ meats, rice, chilli, and side salad (no croutons) with balsamic dressing are gluten-free. The coleslaw and cilantro lime dressing are not GF, though that may have been a mistake, as they were unsure if mayo or ketchup contained gluten, which they typically don’t. Both BBQ sauces were confirmed gluten-free.
Would still recommend double-checking in person, as ingredient info may change. Avoid anything fried due to a shared fryer. You can also note allergies during the online order process.
Staff was extremely friendly and accommodating.
Accommodating Gluten-Free
