Molokai
Dining And Drinking

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Moloka'i has no pretensions in regards to its dining scene. It doesn't claim to be a culinary Mecca; nor does it aspire to be one. There are just a few restaurants on the island and most of them serve simple, greasy local fare with a strange Filipino twist. Other than the bizarrely out-of-place Kentucky Fried Chicken joint in downtown Kaunakakai, there are no mainland fast food chains. There are about three special-occasion restaurants, and even the fanciest of them is rustic by mainland—or Maui—standards.

Kaunakakai
The main city of Moloka'i has the highest concentration of eateries, but most of them are informal and quick, better suited to lunch than to dinner. By and large, the eateries are old, run-down and shabby looking. They cater to locals and occasionally draw in a few adventurous visitors.

Foremost among this category are the Molokai Drive Inn and Oviedo’s Lunch Counter. The Drive Inn opens early in the morning, and serves till at least 10pm. It is old-fashioned without being quaint. Customers park in front, run to the counter and give their order, and then grab the food from the take-out window and hurry home. A sign at the takeout window urges customers to place any sit-down orders in the dining room. However, the dining room remains empty throughout much of the day. The outdoor dining area gets a few patrons from time to time. Oviedo's is even more of a cultural experience. The stuffy, small yellow dining area looks like it could handle about five customers at one time. The menu is brief and intimidating. It features delicacies such as tripe stew and pork adobo.

Other casual downtown eateries include the Sundown Deli, the dour Kanemitsu Bakery, and the tiny Mrs. K. Concession Stand. A pleasant alternative (and one which appeals to the health-conscious West Coast contingent) is Outpost Natural Food Store. This spacious health food stop is located in a free-standing building just past the Chevron station. It serves up salad, whole-grain snacks and veggie burritos. Moloka'i Pizza Café is a surprisingly chic little restaurant about a quarter-mile from the Kaunakakai Wharf. Art is displayed on the walls, and the cuisine displays Left Coast influences.

There is really only one option for people who desire a semi-classy evening out. It is the tried-and-true Oceanfront Restaurant at Hotel Molokai. This place has charm to spare. Situated on the beach, it is a great date spot. It's also a perfect place to relax over cocktails with friends or bring the entire family for lunch.

West Moloka'i: Maunaloa Town & Kaluakoi Resort Area

About 20 minutes driving distance from Kaunakakai is the small village of Maunaloa. There are only a couple of eateries in town, both of which are semi-upscale. The Village Grill serves stone-grill cuisine in a charming, old-fashioned, only somewhat contrived atmosphere. Further on down the road is the Maunaloa Dining Room, located in the Lodge at Molokai Ranch. This eatery probably is the closest thing on the island to formal dining. The waiters are nearly as polished as the furniture, but not quite.

Either of the Maunaloa Town restaurants can satisfy Happy Hour drinkers. The back porch at the Grill is a great place for beer-swilling, while the Lodge’s plummy atmosphere is more conducive to cognac sipping. Would-be revelers need to get a buzz on early however; the town shuts down by 10pm.

Kualapu'u and Kaluakoi

The town of Kualapu'u looks to have about 20 houses total, but it boasts one of the island’s best eateries. Formerly known as Kualapu'u Cookhouse and recently renamed Kamuela's Kitchen, it serves hearty home-style meals in generous portions. Local and mainland favorites are offered. The tiny settlement also boasts the only espresso bar on the island. Located on the coffee plantation (naturally), it tempts mainland espresso addicts with steaming lattes and strong cappuccinos.

The West End of Moloka'i used to boast one of the island's only fine-dining restaurants, but with the close of the Kaluakoi Hotel, the West side abruptly lost its main dining attraction. It remains to be seen whether another developer will step in and renovate the property.

East Moloka'i

The dining scene in East Moloka'i is nonexistent. The Wavecrest General Store serves a few packaged or pre-made snacks in the afternoon hours, but as a rule of thumb, any visitor traveling to the east side should plan to bring supplies or at least pack a picnic.

And that's the sum total of Molokai's current restaurant scene. Cosmopolitan it is not. Food snobs and finicky eaters will no doubt be nonplussed by the choices, while weak stomachs may rebel when faced with some of the more creative Filipino dishes. However, anyone that’s spent any time on a desert island in another part of the world will find that Moloka'i compares quite favorably. For one thing, there’s no shortage of grocery stores (try Friendly Market Center in Kaunakakai or Maunaloa General Store in Maunaloa). For another thing, the prices are mostly reasonable. The service is warm and helpful and genuinely happy to help. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the cuisine is simple, traditional and authentic, just like the people and the island as a whole.