Lotus GardenPrinceville, Kaua'i Call (808) 826-9999

Visit & order in Princeville

A counter window in the Princeville Center food court, with shared tables inside to eat in, or everything packed to take away. No host, no reservations, no table service. Here is exactly how it works.

Hours
Open daily11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Phone
(808) 826-9999Call ahead for pickup
Address
Princeville Center, Unit C‑1015‑4280 Kūhiō Highway, Princeville, Kaua'i, HI 96722
Service
Dine in or takeoutCounter service, shared tables

How ordering works

  1. Read both boards

    The printed menu is on the wall at the window. The handwritten specials board sits on an easel beside it, and the two do not overlap. The rib eye, the seabass and the fresh Kaua'i shrimp are specials only. Both are on this site, so you can decide before you leave the house and simply phone it in.

  2. Call it in, or order at the window

    Phoning (808) 826-9999 is the easier route and the one worth defaulting to: your food is cooked while you drive over and bagged by the time you arrive. Ordering at the counter works exactly the same way, you just wait for it there.

    Either way, this is the moment to say how spicy you want it. Thai dishes arrive milder than most visitors expect unless you ask plainly, and it is the single most common complaint in reviews.

  3. Collect it, or take the beeper

    A phone order is collected at the window. Order at the counter and you are handed a pager instead, then find a seat at the shared tables until it buzzes.

  4. Eat in, and clear your own table

    Food comes in takeout containers, on paper, with plastic forks, whether you are eating there or not. Nobody is coming to clear your table. Bus it on your way out.

There is no online ordering, so the phone is the ordering system. It is also the easiest way to use this place: read the menu here, call (808) 826-9999, and pick it up without queueing or waiting on a pager.

Finding it

Where exactly

Princeville Center is the shopping center on Kūhiō Highway in Princeville, on the ocean side of the road: on your right driving west toward Hanalei, on your left coming back east from Hanalei. Lotus Garden is Unit C‑101, in the food court, beside the shared tables.

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Parking

Free surface parking across the whole center, shared with the grocery store. It fills up on Sunday afternoons and around the farmers market, but there is almost always something.

The seating

Shared tables inside, used by the neighbouring counters too. Tables are first come, first served. At peak times they are not always clean when you reach them, which is the food court rather than the kitchen.

Live music

There is regularly music in the courtyard in the evenings. It makes the shared seating a far nicer place to eat than the phrase “food court” suggests.

Good to know

Is there vegetarian and vegan food?

Yes, and not just in one corner of the menu. There is a whole Vegetable section, tofu is a protein option across the Thai curries, Pad Thai and the Szechuan string beans, and the eggplant on the specials board is one of the better plates in the building. Say “vegan” when you order so they leave out fish sauce and egg.

How spicy is spicy?

Milder than you are probably expecting. Reviewers who asked for spicy repeatedly report getting mild, and reviewers who asked for extra spicy report getting something reasonable. If you like real heat, ask for it emphatically and say it twice.

Do I need to add rice?

Yes, for anything on the Chef Specialties, Thai and Vegetable sections. Steam rice is $1.75 and brown rice is $2.00, and neither is included in the listed price. Noodle and fried rice dishes are complete plates and need nothing added.

Is it good value?

By Kaua'i standards, consistently yes. Value scores 3.8 against a 3.6 overall, and “reasonable prices for the Princeville area” is one of the most repeated phrases in the reviews. Expect roughly $50 to $60 for three entrees before rice.

Do they deliver?

No. There is no delivery and no online ordering. The two ways to get food are to walk up to the window, or to call (808) 826-9999 and collect it yourself.

Is it wheelchair accessible?

Yes. The center and the covered walkway are step-free, and the seating area is at ground level.

When is it busiest?

Sunday, around the farmers market, and the dinner hour generally. If you are in a hurry, call your order in.

Do they take cards?

Card payment is accepted at the window. If you are ordering by phone, confirm when you call.

Ready to order?

Read the menu, pick your dishes, then call it in.

Call (808) 826-9999 See the menu