Mermaids Cafe

I want to eat here everyday because the food is so amazing but I do have to say the service is a bit lacking. Not sure why anyone would ever be crabby on this island! Have to say it’s worth the lack of smiles however to get that food!

Of 5 days on Kauai I think we ate there at least 3 times. Low-​key, healthy, veg-​friendly and reasonably priced. I always had their delicious burritos. My daughter was more adventurous & was happy with everything she tried. Portions are huge.
This is not fine dining. It’s a window with a few picnic benches that is frequented by locals & tourists alike.
Next time I am on Kauai I look forward to returning to Mermaids! :)

This is a great little restaurant with quality food cooked right in front of you using local ingredients. I would deduct one star because while good it’s not top notch and it’s a little pricey.

Came here on a whim for some dinner after getting back from trails & waterfall searches.
Ambience: it’s a stand up/​to go & sit down joint nestled next to Java Kai. So very casual «fast» food environment.
Food: I ordered the Kapaa Tacos with a side of Avocado ($ 1 extra), organic rice & beans a lemongrass mint tea? Tacos were excellent. However; as you can see in the picture there was NO avocado to be found. They also don’t have to-​go cups with lids, so if you’re ordering to-​go, keep in mind that you get a cup with a straw regardless.
4 stars because of the last 2 factors. When I order avocado, I NEED my avocado!

A little pricey but well worth it since ingredients are local, everything is made on the spot, and portions are large.
You can’t go wrong with their tacos or the coconut curry plate. There’s outside seating, but if it’s full, you can always do what we did and drive a mile or so up north and eat it on the beach. Just watch out for the wandering chickens!

Horrible customer service today @ Mermaids Café. I called for takeout and the lady working said she didn’t have time to tell me what was on the menu and that she was too busy today. Find another place to eat that has better customer service, especially for the price!

Stopped here for dinner during our vacation on Kauai. REALLY wanted to love this place, it’s so cute and the menu sounded great. I was tired and asked the girl at the register what was good. She told me, «the number 1 is great, it’s the most popular on the menu!» I ordered the #1, an ahi nori wrap (which was $ 13.95).
My boyfriend ordered the tropical tacos, which were $ 12.95. We also ordered two iced teas. Well, I ordered a tea-​lemonade, but they were out of lemonade. So, I got a tea.
Boyfriend’s taco dish was pretty good. My wrap consisted of a little fish, rice, seaweed, and a BOATLOAD of wasabi cream sauce mixed in. Seriously. It was painful to eat. Probably would have been really good if I could have tasted anything but wasabi.
I really wanted to love it. I ended up throwing ¾ of my $ 14 wrap in the trash. I wish the girl behind the counter had asked if I liked spicy food or wasabi before the rave the review of that particular item. I was so bummed!

Mermaids was the very first food, actually the very first stop that we made in Kauai once we landed in Lihue. They were located at a convenient stop near our first hotel, and had parking at the time right outside.
The café itself is closer to a shack than a restaurant, but what they lack in square footage, they make up for in quality many times over. We were one of maybe four other couples dining there when we arrived, and were the only ones waiting to order. The team behind the counter were two wonderfully friendly ladies who both took orders, served, cooked, and cleared.
On our first visit, I ordered the Ahi Nori wrap, but they were out of Ahi at the time, so they substituted Ono (wahoo), which made me sad until I tasted it and it was AMAZING. Darling man ordered the Sesame Noodles, and we split a Coconut Milk Thai tea. My Nori wrap was a beautiful seaweed nori, spread with brown rice, avocado, cucumber, Ono, and wasabi sauce, all wrapped in a spinach tortilla. This came with a side of pickled ginger, but I was so engrossed in the delight I was savoring with each bite, I wholly forgot about the ginger. The Thai tea was creamy, strong, and just a touch sweet, and a perfect pairing for the spicy wrap. Sesame noodles, though very generously portioned, were to me a little on the boring side. Darling man enjoyed the noodles, took the rest to the hotel, and had leftovers enough for a few snacks.
On my last day in Kauai, I though it poetic to return to Mermaids for one last hauntingly delicious wrap in hopes for it to come this time with ahi, and I was in luck. I had the wasabi nori wrap with ahi this time, and it was just as good as the tender Ono, if not better. This was absolutely one of my top ten favorite foods on the whole island, and we definitely ate our way through most of Kauai.
Mermaids brings island flair with a multicultural approach, blending ingredients and flavors as diverse and delicious as Kauai itself. This café isn’t just good in comparison to the rest of the island, or even compared to the rest of Hawaii, but I could see it thriving in other places and holding its own in virtually any popular California coastal town. Delicious, and I will absolutely return when I come back to Kauai, because Mermaids is not to be missed.