Lacto
Ovo
American
Beer/Wine
Mexican
Fusion
Hawaiian
Non-veg
Serves meat, vegan options available. Cuisine is billed as New Mexican food meets Pacific Rim. Casual dining catering to the locals. Possible to ask for vegan tacos and other cooked New Mexican style dishes. Previously located in Kapaa. Open Mon-Sun 11:00am-8:00pm.
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4454 Nuhou St Ste 501 (at Hokulei Village), Lihue, Hawaii, USA, 96746
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Last update on 31 Jul 2023 by marilujan1993
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Added by LaurieAdrienne on 05 Jul 2011
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30 Reviews
First Review by LaurieAdrienne
phyredelic
Points +125
Tasty and satisfying - Edit
The food was good, we got vegan tacos, smothered burrito, and the taco salad. Broccoli was the main vegetable, it was good in the tacos, but could have used some variety in the burrito. The taco salad shell was good, seemed freshly made (and it appears they make all their tortillas). Beans and rice are vegan, and other vegan and vegetarian options were clearly labeled. They said they need to change the menu to remove the crumble tacos
Read moreService was quick. They do charge a 3.8% credit card fee.
After a long day of traveling, this definitely satisfied us.
Pros: Multiple vegan options, Fast service, Tasty
Guest
BrightonMD
Points +1296
Excellent vegan tacos and service - Edit
Verde is not your average Mexican restaurant. In general, the food is lighter and not laden with heavy cheese and rice. Instead, light on the cheese and a bit more cabbage/slaw. Very tasty.
Read moreThe taco crumble was outstanding. The coconut/mango vegan flan (caramelized with a torch) was decadently fantastic. Prices are high, and rice/beans are not included in the main meals.
Updated from previous review on 2024-04-19
Pros: Tasty food, Excellent service
Cons: Pricey
Guest
marriedavegan
Points +563
Great option in Kauai - Edit
We went for dinner. The menu has a fair amount of vegetarian options and a few vegan options on the menu. The staff was very friendly and accommodating and we could essentially build anything we wanted using their ingredients. I had the vegetable layered enchilada which was awesome, my wife had the vegan tacos that use taro and mung bean based crumbles. Also really good. The kids got wet burritos that they enjoyed but wished there were more beans. We tried the nachos with vegetables, which were just ok. It needed some salsa or hot sauce. The grilled cheese quesadilla was just a quesadilla. The guacamole was very good here. Overall very good and we will go here again. Update 1/24. They are still there and still great. My son had tried the breakfast burrito without meat and loved it. The sopapillas were amazing, save room!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2021-07-26
Pros: Many options, Friendly staff, Really accommodating with menu substitution
Cons: Service is slow, Popular so a wait to order (order ahead online), Go early because they run out of some items
Guest
GaryJimmerson
Points +67
Tasty, light, "tacos" - Edit
A few vegan options, we ordered the crumble tacos, which were fine tasting and light. Not authentic, per say, but a valid locally-owned option.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-04-23
Pros: Locally-owned , Fresh ingredients
Guest
AngieDuncanJames
Points +30
Verde is great! - Edit
Excellent vegan food choices. The vegan crumble tacos were delicious.
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options, Great Service, Staff very accommodating
Cons: Expensive
Guest
LoriKW
Points +577
Fresh food, great drinks - Edit
There were a couple vegan options, all labeled as vegan. I got the vegan tacos (seasonal vegetables, Pico and lettuce on corn tortilla) and my husband got the vegan crumble tacos (taro protein crumbles, Pico, lettuce and guacamole on corn tortilla). My tacos were a bit bland but the vegetables were really fresh, the crumble tacos were much more flavorful. We also got the lime slushy and a horchata boba tea, both were fantastic.
Read morePros: Fresh vegetables , Great drinks
Cons: Bland, Pricey
Guest
ryannemreese1125
Points +23
AMAZING - Edit
I got tacos with vegan meat and it was so good! The guacamole was amazing and I definitely want to go here again before I leave Kauai!
Read morePros: vegan options , organic/clean eating , Delicious
Cons: Expensive
Guest
sac2dude
Points +11
Unremarkable - Edit
The location and ambiance were good, but the only thing which had flavor were the chips and salsa. My wife had the vegan tacos while I had the verde verde burrito, wet style. The burrito seemed to consist primarily of broccoli and green beans, which by itself wasn’t an issue (I like broccoli) however it was more of a broccoli/green bean wrap than an actual “burrito”. The “wet burrito” verde covering itself was spicy (a plus!) but flavor wise, I felt like I was eating a bowl of broccoli. I kept returning to the chips and salsa for for moral support help in eating the burrito.
Read moreMy wife felt the same regarding her tacos, which was odd since tacos typically carry more flavor than a burrito, since the rice and beans in a burrito tend to mellow the flavor profile. The green beans were undercooked, making the tacos oddly crunchy and hard to eat. Plus, the tacos seemed unseasoned and completely bland. She also got a side order of beans, which ended up being a bland pool of mush. Just really, don’t make the mistake of ordering this.
Note: They were out of the taro/mung bean crumbles, which are offered on the tacos but also available on the burritos if you ask, so that might have helped.
The menu has no notation for vegan items (only vegetarian). You need to ask, but out cashier was knowledgeable.
Guest
VegEmber
Points +22
Accommodating and yum - Edit
Employee was very helpful and accommodating. Got the verde verde burrito vegan style and added vegan crumbles, soooooo delicious. Horchata was also vegan (rice milk) and super tasty. $$ but that is what it is.
Read moreGuest
Mporteous
Points +54
Vegan Tacos very good! Need education about plant-based protein needs of Vegans - Edit
As others have mentioned, only one item on the menu at Verde is intentionally Vegan. Fortunately, the beans & rice themselves are also Vegan, but are not automatically included in the vegetarian dishes. Staff & maybe owners/chefs need education about how to include beans or other high protein plant-based options when a vegetarian entree is solely vegetables. Also fortunately, our waitress was willing to add beans to the Verde Verde Burrito in exchange for my removing potatoes & cheese. My husband really enjoyed the Vegan tacos made from taro root & mung beans. It’s a great choice.
Read moreGuest
esiemsroberson
Points +121
Fabulous vegan special tacos - Edit
Was thrilled to see vegan tacos on the main menu but when we arrived they also had taro, mung bean and moringa crumble vegan tacos on the Specials menu that were incredible!!! The beans and rice were delicious too, just make sure to ask for the beans without cheese. Took my whole (non-vegan) family and they loved their food too.
Read morePros: Great tacos!!
Cons: Wish the street corn was vegan friendly!!
Guest
evee
Points +32
Delicious vegan tacos in Lihue - Edit
They have 2 vegan tacos, the vegan crumble ones are delicious! You can also order guacamole, beans and rice. Apart from that, no other vegan options available. A good Mexican restaurant in a strip mall in Lihue. Knowledgeable wait stuff on the vegan options.
Read moreGuest
GiselaFiege
Points +287
One true vegan option - Edit
Love the one vegan option the taco crumbles made with taro, very taste. It’s a small portion and very stingy on the guacamole! Other than this one can piece together a meal. It is also moderately priced.
Read morePros: Taste , Fair priced
Cons: Small portion for the one vegan dish
Guest
shaz
Points +85
Kapaa Location closed, now open in Lihue - Edit
They have some great vegan items but their Kapaa location has closed. They have a new location in Lihue, next to Domino's pizza, same great food!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2019-01-01
Guest
VeganScientist
Points +847
Special vegan options - Edit
We went here skeptical, but were pleasantly surprised. We told the server we are vegam and she told us that the beans and rice were vegan and, in addition to the vegan tacos on the menu which are just veggie, there was an option not on the menu called the vegan crumble. It's a "meaty" sort of ground beef texture made from taro and a kind of bean. It was really good. The chips and salsa were also really good and complimentary, plus they have some nice local teas, but watch out for honey in some of the teas.
Read morePros: Interesting vegan option off the menu, Knowledgeable staff
Cons: Serves flesh
Guest
vegfoodlvr
Points +49
Not bad - Edit
Vegetable Burrito was pretty good. The beans are a bit salty for me and kind of expensive for a small side they give you.
Read moreGuest
Dariush
Points +792
Wow, awesome vegan tacos - Edit
The place was recommended to me by a local vegan. When I arrived to find a fast food-looking place in a strip mall, my expectations were low. Wow was I ever wrong. Verde offers both vegetable and fake meat tacos... I ordered the veggie ones. They were so amazing I went for a second round. The shells were fresh and delicious, as were the vegetables. You can get beans and rice for an additional fee. Don’t miss out on that- vegan and delicious. I didn’t try the burrito but will do so when I have an opportunity. There are the standard vegan appetisers like guac and salsa. I ordered the guac but wasn’t blown away- stick with the tacos!
Read moreGuest
CarleeBusby
Points +72
vegan tacos are great - Edit
While there’s only 1 item on the menu labeled vegan, some other dishes could have been altered to be vegan most likely. But the vegan tacos were great—veggie tacos with a delicious salsa and the side of rice and beans made it a completely filling vegan dinner! The chips and salsa they serve for free are also vegan, but the chips actually were not the best.
Read morePros: labeled vegan dish, fast service, good food
Cons: only 1 vegan option on the menu
Guest
JulieWhiteDickerson
Points +52
Great vegan tacos! - Edit
We went to the new location in Lihue by Safeway. Several items were marked vegetarian and 1 item (vegan grilled vegetable tacos) were marked vegan. My husband and I got the vegan tacos and my son modified a regular burrito to be vegan. We loved the veggies in the vegan tacos. The flavor and seasonings were perfect. Good service, casual atmosphere.
Read morePros: Flavorful vegan tacos
Cons: One 1 item on the menu was marked vegan.
Guest
nico-schenk
Points +32
Disappointing vegan options - Edit
We got the bean tostada and vegan tacos which basically were just lettuce and tomato. Very disappointing and overpriced for a meal consisting mostly of lettuce !
Read moreGuest
Travels&Eats
Points +16
Not your normal "bell-pepper" veg tacos - Edit
Spent a week in Kauai eating, of course, and was happily surprised at the tacos here.
Read moreHeard about Verde from the hotel bartender when we asked the best places to eat. Was with a group of herbivores and omnivores, and this satisfied everyone.
Salsa with chips was great - tasty red salsa, warm chips and each small table got their own. The staff pushed several tables together for us, as all tables are small but it was no issue to reconfigure.
I ordered the vegan tacos. Was expecting the usual oily onion green pepper stir fry most non-veg places offer, and could not have been more happy to be wrong. The plate was two heaping huge tacos topped with some amazing pico de gallo (the kind you could just eat that and be happy). The veggies were fresh broccoli and French green and yellow baby string beans - all tender and not greasy at all. Messy, of course, but very good.
The toddler got a bean and cheese burrito - too big for little hands to pick up, and a lot of thick cheese and tortilla. Not the best option.
They offer the New Mexico style of sauce - red, green, or both (Christmas!) and our group tended to like the red better - a little more spicy.
Did not have drinks, so can't review.
Overall, a good place for a group of mixed eaters.
Pros: Non traditional veggies in vegan tacos, Something to satisfy everyone , Family friendly
Cons: A little pricey
Guest
Zweiglücksamkeit
Points +98
mäßig - Edit
es fehlte uns die Würze, Preis dagegen war im Vergleich zu anderen Tacoläden recht hoch
Read moreGuest
VeganskisLove
Points +66
lunch in Kauai - Edit
Very knowledgeable staff!!! Vegan tacos were filling and delicious... Though a bit too spicy for my personal preference. We had ordered veggie sopapias, and was told by the waitress that there was dairy in them ((how refreshing to have a caring and thoughtful staff)) and suggested a meal not on the menu which would be a combination of things we had tried to order just without the dairy. Would highly recommend!
Read morePros: vegan options on menu, friendly and great music, fair prices
Cons: a bit spicy
Guest
PeteSutherland
Points +44
margarita Mondays!! - Edit
The vegan tacos were pretty good. Kind of bland and definitely not spicy. We also were planning to order the veggie sopapillas, but the server advised us that the dough has dairy in it :( The $3 margaritas (half price all day on Mondays) was the best part. The server was also great. All in all a good vegan option for people visiting Kapaa, as long as you like vagab tacos, because there's nothing else on the menu to eat.
Read moreGuest
Soul2Soul Educare
Points +1102
Yummy Food - Good Service - Veg clearly marked - Edit
This place was bustling with people but the service was good and attentive. The food was delicious and abundant. We ordered the vegan tacos and the stuffed sopapillas which were delish! They were also serving $3 margaritas which was a plus and probably why there were so many people there - so much so that they ran out of glasses and had to go out and purchase new glasses (they use ball jars for glasses) - interesting touch! Vegan/Vegetarian is clearly marked.
Read moreCons: serve meat
Guest
Chancita
Points +29
easy meal - Edit
We ended up at Verde at the recommendation of a server at a different restaurant. It was tasty. Sopaipilla dish is fantastic, keiki burritos were a hit and my kids especially liked the rice.
Read morePros: good food is hard to find in Kapa'a
Cons: very loud, very small
Guest
jamber79
Points +376
Pretty good - Edit
Small casual place in a strip mall. Service was friendly and they had a good amount of options to choose from. The only thing that ruined it for me was that both things we got were drenched in their green sauce which was incredibly spicy. I didn't know this would be the case and i couldn't really eat much food, but for someone that loves spice this would be a great place.
Read morePros: Lots of choices, Service
Cons: Too spicy, Expensive
Guest
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