duke's kauai

highly-overrated chain food & drinks from premade mixes. driving back from the north shore, one evening, we checked our usually-reliable guide book for a dinner restaurant that stayed open later, and duke's was highly recommended, so we decided to give it a try. the ambiance was pleasant, but that was about all i liked.

we began by ordering drinks, and i ordered a mojito, expecting it to be made with fresh lime and fresh sprigs of mint, just like any other reputable restaurant. at first, our waitress brought me the wrong drink. when i pointed out the error, she returned with the "duke's"-version of a mojito. only a few flakes of mint, and by the artificial taste, it was obvious that it was made from a mix, not from fresh ingredients. (if i want a drink made from a mix, i will go to the grocery and liquor store and make my own.) to serve a crappy drink from a mix in a supposedly-nice restaurant is just tacky. i couldn't even finish it.

when in kauai, we generally like to experience the local seafood. at duke's, you pick your fish from a list and pair it with a preparation of your choice from a list. i think my husband and i both picked a local whitefish and some type of lemon-caper preparation, a flavor combination that we both love, so we anxiously awaited our entrée. every entrée comes with a trip to the salad bar, so we stood in line for our one-trip salad bar. the salad bar had plenty of options, but it was all very typical, unimaginative salad-bar choices. all i wanted were some fresh vegetables to round out my meal, not the starchy filler foods that made up much of the salad bar. it was quantity, not quality. when main course arrived, i realized that the "preparations" were all premade, not fresh to order. again, a tacky chain-restaurant trick. the sauce on my fish tasted like it was from a bottle. it was edible, but not really enjoyable.

for the amount of money we spent at duke's, we expected fresh, imaginative, food, and what we received was gloried, over-priced chain food. there are so many better places to eat in kaua'i, and we plan to spend our money elsewhere.

the only duke i like.... i don't know what is special about this location but i love the food here. i have been disappointed with the locations on maui and oahu. food is great here. however, it is very pricey and the portions are huge when you add in the salad bar. so go hungry

great spot! the ambiance and service was excellent. we had the filet herb chevre and seared ahi tuna and our children had ribs and chicken off the kids menu. food was outstanding! followed by a piece of hula pie (mac nut ice cream mud pie)...unbelievable!

i usually don't get ribs at restaurants but i thought they looked good and they were a hit! and the la pina was exceptional! if i ever come back to kauai, i'll be sure to come by!

boring. ate here twice on our trip. first night had the chicken/steak shishkabob meal, the chicken was very dry and the steak cooked to a gray without really any char or contrast in the meat. the ingredients were quality but the preparation was nothing out of the ordinary, probably just a splash or marinade of soy. the mashed potatoes were the best best part of the meal but the portion was very skimpy.
everyone raves about the salad bar but it was really quite plain, nothing at all exotic or really flavorful, some nice pineapple and melon.
next time i tried grilled fish, think they called it hawaiian or local preparation. seemed barely grilled at all but really dry and tasteless, the pineapple sauce was way too sweet and my first reaction was blame myself, why did i order this? others in my party had fish prepared firecracker style, it was good, and baked, that was really good too.
wine list was ok, but the single glass pours were small.
the hulu pie desert was just ok.
the service ranged from overly cheery and pushy to indifferent and slow.
showy touristy kind of place, people come for the location, the food is overpriced and not well executed.

march 22, 2011 duke's is not a foodie restaurant, not one that you'd go out of your way for. instead it's a touristy one you go to for convenience - if you're staying on the beach at the kauai marriott or going there for nighttime entertainment. you know those places: a fabulous view, two levels of seating in and out, a hand-held buzzer that goes off when your table is ready, watered down mai tai's ($9) that are more show than alcohol and - of course - a big salad bar that's free with your entree ($18.95 for huli huli chicken to $32.95 for filet peppersteak) or $14.95 sans one. duke's does have chilled plates for the salad, and offers freshly made caesar, plain lettuce, potato salad, cole slaw and sundry other salad bar classics plus some fresh fruit and sliced pineapple. after all this is hawaii. i ordered the fresh opah (hawaiian moonfish) with the firecracker roasted preparation that came with an avocado, tomato, black bean and cilantro relish and a choice of garlic mashed potatoes,

great food!. great place to stop for lunch! yummy!

one our favorites -- anywhere on the planet!. duke's is an absolute must for any time we visit hawaii (or southern california, for that matter). we generally make this our first stop after landing at lih -- kick back a couple of lava flows and/or mai tais, split a few appetizers and entrees and top it all off with several spoons fighting over a piece of hula pie as the surf rolls in on kalapaki beach. life doesn't get much better.

we love the kauai location most of all. it should be a crime to visit kauai and not eat at duke's!

had ceasar salad with fish, the dressing had no depth to it what so ever, great place to hang out for happy hour since there is live music :)

best restaurant we have found on the island so far!!!

food was okay, view was worth the stop. our party of four stopped in for a quick lunch. we were seated immediately and had a great view of the cove, beach and the locals hanging at the beach. the waitress was very friendly, food was reasonably priced. pass on the fish and chips as the breading was much to heavy and the fish tasted worse than mrs. paul's fish sticks. while we all wish we didn't order the huli pie for dessert (with four spoons), it was gone in about 3 minutes. i'd give this place 2 out of 5 stars.

great food and service without the tourist vibe...

i highly disagree with gary's previous review. we went with a group of 10 and the food, service, and location was incredible!!! the prices are steep but you definitely get what you pay for. the prime rib is mouth watering!!! the huli pie may have the best dessert i've ever had. highly, highly recommended!!!!

the food was ok, prices in line with resort pricing. lousy service. better places on the island for sure.

kind of disappointing. we had to send our steak back since it was over cooked. service was fair.