We Found A Great Tiki Bar In A Hawaiian Supermarket Shopping Plaza

If you’re going to visit Kauai for more than a few nights (and it’s totally worth spending time there), you should leave the resorts on the south and eastern sides of the island and head to the North Shore. There aren’t many hotels and you’re more than likely to rent a condo or house on Airbnb. Because many of the people who visit are owners, there’s a limited number of restaurants around Princeville. In fact, almost all of the restaurants in Princeville are located in the Foodland shopping plaza.

Hanalei and its many restaurants are a few minutes away from a winding mountain road with single-lane bridges. Foodland plaza is a short walk from our house.

One place that keeps showing up is located in the plaza, which was searched for by Sharon before she went to Kauai. How good could a bar be next to a supermarket?

Tiki Iniki 5-4280 Kuhio Hwy

Princeville, HI

Tiki Iniki is an exotic place for crafted Tiki Cocktails and Island Cuisine. The decor is Vintage Tiki, Hawaiiana, and Exotica from the 1940s to the modern day. The staff of sultry sirens and saucy liquid chefs add to the ambiance. Owners Michele & Todd Rundgren know how to throw a party, and you are invited! Reservations suggested, “Everyone who works at Tiki Iniki knows they are hosting a party, and our guests should feel like they are a guest at a party in my home. Wigs are encouraged and Hawaiian attire is appreciated!” Michele Rundgren

If you are old enough, you know who Todd Rundgren is. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member had several hits in the 70s as a solo artist before working as a producer. Todd and his wife decided to open their own bar after moving to Kauai in 1992 because they were looking for a good bar.

Because of the lack of restaurants in Princeville, places fill up early and stay that way all night. We didn't make any reservations and walked to Tiki Iniki on Friday night. We were third in line at the door and the place was already packed. When we told the greeter that we didn't have a reservation, he said we could leave our name and phone number and they would text when a table was available.

I walked around the plaza and went inside the Foodland to see the prices. Sharon said our seats were ready in 30 minutes. Two seats at the bar were given to us.

I don't like using filters in Apple Photos and I love blue lighting, so forgive the quality of the pictures.

The bar area has a Tiki Iniki. The statue in the window gave me Disneyland vibes.

The most important thing about a bar is the drinks. I don't need to waste my time if you only serve a bunch of fruity cocktails in tropical glasses with umbrellas. The menu looked promising. We were at the bar to watch the preparation of the drinks. It's worth it if you have to wait a little longer for a drink.

I tried the Navy Grog while Sharon went for the house special.

The one I had at New Orleans's Latitude 29 wasn't as good as mine. We waited for food and Sharon enjoyed her beverage.

Sharon was trying to eat healthy at times during the trip to make up for some of our more extravagant meals.

Our dressing is made with organic local greens mixed with grilled chicken breast, cucumbers, carrots, and crispy wontons.

I went for the Grilled Iniki Burger at a bar because I wanted to be healthy.

We have a famous Iniki Burger, which is fried with beef, topped with sauerkraut, cabbage slaw, and shoyu mayo.

I've never had a beef burger before, so I had to try it. I wanted to try the shoyu mayo.

The burger tasted great but it was too large. I couldn't get a bite through the bun, cheese, and burger at the same time.

I decided to try a different drink because we had no other plans. The Penicillin is a mix of Scotch, lime and ginger. I looked at the bartender after taking a few sips. I said that this drink is terrible and that I almost never do it. Could I have something else?

He said that he was not the first one to say that. The original Mai Tai was wonderful.

We bought some of the mugs they had for sale. One of them had a CD from the band.

Final Thoughts

It is not a fancy place to eat. The bar has good drinks and good food. It is one of the only places in Princeville that serves hot wings until 10:45 PM. When we went back to eat there on Sunday, we found out that they were closed on Sunday and Monday due to staffing issues.

It was an easy decision to check it out since we are fans of the Tiki bar. I didn't get to play my drum all day. Maybe next time.

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This post was first published on Your Mileage May Vary.

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