Overview
Big Nick’s is a casual Hanalei lunch spot built around char-grilled burgers, Hawaiian plate lunches, and a short list of comfort-food sides and drinks. It is the kind of place travelers usually care about for two reasons: it is easy to fit into a North Shore day, and the food leans hearty rather than fussy.
The identity here is fairly well anchored. The Google Places record, current website, and ordering platform all point to the same operation at 5-5088 Kuhio Hwy in Hanalei, with the same phone number and active business status. The only meaningful wrinkle is that third-party listings vary a bit on hours and some description details, so the official site and current ordering/menu pages are the better guide. (bignickskauai.com)
Cuisine & Specialties
Big Nick’s sits in the Hawaiian BBQ-meets-burger-joint lane: hand-pressed, char-grilled burgers; plate lunches with teriyaki-style meats; and island-leaning sides like taro wedges and taro fritters. The menu is small enough to read quickly but broad enough that a traveler can order either a burger or a mixed plate and still feel like they got a local meal rather than standard fast food. (bignickskauai.com)
- Overall menu style: Hawaiian BBQ, classic hamburgers, sandwiches, and a few local favorites; the website specifically emphasizes charbroiling over live flame rather than flat-top cooking. (bignickskauai.com)
- Big Nick’s Burger: a signature higher-priced burger on Toast, listed at $23, and described by the site as a hand-pressed, char-grilled burger. This is one of the clearest house specialties. (toasttab.com)
- Da Local Plate: a plate-lunch sampler on the ordering menu, listed at $22. Third-party and legacy coverage describe it as the best way to sample multiple island-style proteins in one order. (toasttab.com)
- Taro fritters / taro wedges: both appear on the current ordering menu and have been repeatedly mentioned in review-style sources as notable side items. (toasttab.com)
- French Dip Friday: the official site says Friday is French Dip day, and recent Instagram posts from the restaurant say it can sell out early. That makes it a real, recurring special rather than a one-off. (bignickskauai.com)
- Other useful items: Da Classic Burger, Grumpy Paniolo burger, Teri Chicken Plate, Chili Pepper Chicken, and drinks like Jarritos, coconut water, and can drinks are all on the live menu. (toasttab.com)
- Price range: the place is clearly on the casual end, but it is not dirt-cheap; current posted prices cluster roughly from the low teens for kids’ or bowl items to the low/mid-$20s for burgers and plates. That reads as fair-value casual dining for Hanalei rather than budget food. (toasttab.com)
- Dietary usefulness: vegetarian and vegan options look limited. The menu is meat-forward, though a black bean burger exists and some sides may work for lighter eaters. (toasttab.com)
Notable Features & Ambiance
The physical experience is simple and very North Shore: counter service, limited formality, and a casual outdoor feel rather than a full sit-down restaurant. The official site and third-party listings both suggest this is a practical, open-air stop for lunch or an early dinner, especially for people already exploring Hanalei. (bignickskauai.com)
- Service model and seating: counter-order format with outdoor seating; Toast also labels the restaurant as not currently accepting online orders, which fits a walk-up, in-person workflow. (toasttab.com)
- Atmosphere and decor: casual, roadside, and unpretentious. The official site leans into the charbroiler and local-food identity rather than any polished dining-room concept. (bignickskauai.com)
- Practical features: current sources show outdoor seating, takeout, parking, wheelchair accessibility, card payments, highchairs, and street parking. The Google record also matches the same address and phone number as the website. (tripadvisor.com)
- Best fit: a lunch stop after the beach, a drive through Hanalei, or a casual meal for families, hikers, and burger-and-plate-lunch travelers. (tripadvisor.com)
- Weaker fit: travelers looking for a long dinner, a bar scene, a wide vegetarian menu, or a polished indoor dining room may find it less suitable. The place is also geared toward daytime hours. (bignickskauai.com)
History & Background
The strongest background signal is that Big Nick’s is locally rooted and family-run. The about page says Nick and Shentel both grew up in Hanalei, met at Hanalei School, and that Nick worked in the same location years ago at Tropical Taco before Big Nick’s moved in. That gives the restaurant a genuine place-based story rather than a generic island branding exercise. (bignickskauai.com)
Review Sentiment Snapshot
What People Love
The recurring praise is straightforward: people like the burgers, the Hawaiian plate lunches, and the sense that the food is hearty and made to order. Review-style sources and traveler comments repeatedly call out the taro fritters or taro wedges, the Big Nick’s Burger, and Da Local Plate. The other major positive pattern is value-for-portion: travelers tend to feel they got a full, satisfying meal. (tripadvisor.com)
There is also a strong authenticity/family-run theme in the source material. The restaurant’s own story, plus review summaries, frame it as locally owned and hands-on rather than corporate or polished. (bignickskauai.com)
Common Gripes
The main downside signals are moderate and fairly practical rather than severe. The most supported complaint is that busy lunch periods can mean waits, and Friday specials can sell out early. (bignickskauai.com)
A second, lightly supported caution is that the charbroiled style can produce a bit of edge charring on some items. That shows up in legacy review material and is more a taste preference issue than a quality problem. (bignickskauai.com)
Practical Visitor Tips
- Go for lunch or early afternoon. The Google hours show a lunch-centric schedule, and the official site plus recent posts make clear that Friday French Dip is a limited special that can sell out early. (sites.google.com)
- Expect walk-in ordering, not reservations. Current menu/ordering pages and the restaurant’s format point to a counter-service setup. (toasttab.com)
- If you want the Friday special, arrive early. The restaurant itself says French Dip Friday is a thing, and its Instagram notes that it can be gone fast. (bignickskauai.com)
- Plan for a casual outdoor meal. Outdoor seating and takeout are part of the basic setup, so this is best on a good-weather day or as a grab-and-go stop. (tripadvisor.com)
- Parking is present but not glamorous. Tripadvisor and other source material point to parking and street parking; Hanalei can still get busy, so allow a little time. (tripadvisor.com)
- Vegetarian travelers should check the menu carefully. There is at least one black bean burger, but the menu is otherwise meat-heavy. (toasttab.com)
- Cards appear to be accepted. Tripadvisor lists credit cards and digital payments, which is useful for visitors who do not want to rely on cash. (tripadvisor.com)
Verification Notes
- Official identity anchors line up across sources: Big Nick’s, 5-5088 Kuhio Hwy, Hanalei, HI 96714, (808) 320-2002, bignickskauai.com. (bignickskauai.com)
- Google Places shows the business as OPERATIONAL with the same address and phone; that matches the official site and Toast listing. (sites.google.com)
- There is minor hours drift across sources: Google lists seven-day hours, while Toast’s page currently shows all hours closed and Tripadvisor shows a lunchtime schedule. That appears to be a platform-data mismatch, so the official site and Google are more trustworthy for current operational posture. (sites.google.com)
- The site’s about page adds useful identity context: Nick and Shentel are Hanalei-rooted, and the location previously housed Tropical Taco. (bignickskauai.com)
Sources
- Big Nick’s official home page —
https://www.bignickskauai.com/— retrieved 2026-04-03 — best for current identity, menu lane, Friday French Dip, catering mention, and the restaurant’s own positioning. - Big Nick’s official about page —
https://www.bignickskauai.com/about-us/— retrieved 2026-04-03 — best for ownership/background: Hanalei roots, family story, and former Tropical Taco location. - Big Nick’s official contact page —
https://www.bignickskauai.com/contact-us/— retrieved 2026-04-03 — best for confirming address and phone. - Toast ordering/menu page for Big Nick’s Hanalei —
https://www.toasttab.com/local/order/big-nicks-hanalei-5-5088-kuhio-highway/item-jarritos_c403d4be-f415-4a06-9de1-96a696497109— retrieved 2026-04-03 — best for live menu items, pricing, drinks, and takeout-oriented service model. - Google Places facts provided in prompt — no public URL supplied — retrieved 2026-04-02 — baseline identity anchor for operational status, address, phone, rating, and hours.
- Tripadvisor listing/search result for Big Nick’s —
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g29218-d24988687-Reviews-Big_Nick_s-Kauai_Hawaii.html— retrieved 2026-04-03 — useful for traveler-facing summary, pricing, amenities, and recurring review themes.
