My family just got back from Kauai, Hawaii!
As a devoted gluten-free-er, travel can be difficult. Salads and grilled chicken get oh-so boring fast!
After doing some Googling, I was excited to find
Sweet Marie's. But that was it!
Everywhere we went, I kept my eyes and ears open. AND - asked lots of questions. *smiles*
Here's a list of what I discovered!
Sweet Marie's shows up all-over Google. Their website isn't exactly user friendly, but I was able to find an address and Google the location.
Right after we arrived in Kauai I made a trip here. Excited to find a designated gluten free bakery, I bought three of her muffins, a pack of chocolate chip cookies and a brownie. That should do it for an eleven day visit. *smiles* The small shop had a steady flow of customers. Three were finishing up lunch when I walked in, two others came in behind me to get baked goods and as we drove away, another car full of people was arriving. My daughter enjoyed playing with the toys in the corner of the shop!
Unfortunately, I was disappointed in the taste and texture. Her muffins all tasted heavy of banana. They also were extremely oily. The chocolate chip cookies were very crunchy and tasted like baking soda with a grainy texture. The brownie was very yummy - would get that again!
My daughter, who has been raised gluten free, refused to eat the banana chocolate chip muffin she picked out from the case! I offered it to her several times over a 2-day period, but after that first bite she wouldn't touch it again.
During an afternoon drive, we stumbled up Banana Joe's Fruit Stand. It's a treasure. Banana Joe, in person, whipped up a pineapple frosty for me - it's just frozen pineapple! After about half of it, I'd had all the acid my tummy could handle, but for a cool and fresh, lightly sweet healthy treat it was fantastic.
In their freezer they had gluten-free bread and tortillas to buy. I spied gluten free fudge too. *winks*
A handful of locals came through while we were browsing, to buy his frosties and to get produce. The produce seemed to be a good price and good quality.
Common Grounds
Recommended by Banana Joe. A bit on the spendy side, but they said their GF breakfast options were superb.
Kilauea Bakery
On that same afternoon drive, my husband and I stopped in this marvelous local bakery - we were looking for a bathroom. (They're in a market place, but I cannot remember the name!) They sell GF pizza (not cheap, but you are in Hawaii!) and GF baked goods. All of their soups are GF and they even made me sandwich with the loaf of gluten free bread I purchased! A refil of any coffee or tea is only $2. *smiles*
While our meal cost more than soup, salad and sandwich at home - the portions were generous and quite filling!
They do not claim to have GF options, but the staff was very understanding and made great recommendations. Again, on the spendy side, but it was some of the best food we ate on our vacation.
The owner personally came to our table and chatted for a while.
Shrimp Station
Their garlic shrimp is amazing. There are other options, of course, but this was our lunch and/or dinner multiple times! Quick service. Very clean.
The Fish Hut
The Fish Hut is located in the Coconuts Market in Kapaa. I was unable to find a website for them. Their Hawaiian Shave Ice is the best value and quality we uncovered. We were not disappointed with any our food choices either - fish, shrimp, rice, hot dog and fries. Again, a good value!
