Lemongrass Grill - Deep Research Report

Overview

Lemongrass Grill is a casual Pan-Asian restaurant in Kapaʻa on Kauaʻi’s Coconut Coast, in the Wailua area. The Google Places record and current third-party listings agree on the same address, phone number, and island identity, and the business is shown as operational. (opentable.com)

For a traveler, the appeal is straightforward: this is a dinner spot with a broad menu, a full bar, patio seating, and a reputation for serving a mix of seafood, curries, and island-leaning fusion dishes in a relaxed setting. It looks less like a fine-dining destination and more like a dependable, broad-appeal dinner choice for visitors who want variety. (opentable.com)

Cuisine & Specialties

Lemongrass Grill’s menu sits in a Pan-Asian / Hawaiian-fusion lane, with clear Thai, Vietnamese, and island influence. The strongest evidence points to a seafood-heavy dinner menu with curries, rice-based entrees, noodle dishes, and a substantial set of meat and vegetarian options. (opentable.com)

• Overall menu style: broad-appeal Asian fusion with Hawaiian touches; the menu is built to cover seafood, beef, pork, chicken, curries, and vegetarian dishes. (opentable.com)
• Notable dishes / specialties:
  • macadamia nut crusted sea bass (opentable.com)
  • guava BBQ ribs / hoisin-charred baby-back ribs (opentable.com)
  • garlic pepper prawns (opentable.com)
  • tempura crusted ono (opentable.com)
  • lemongrass seafood stew (opentable.com)
  • curry plates, including mixed seafood curry and yellow curried vegetables (opentable.com)
• Drinks / bar: the place has a full bar and is listed by Google as a bar as well as a restaurant. (opentable.com)
• Price range: Google marks it at price level 2, while OpenTable shows $31–$50; in practical traveler terms, expect a midrange dinner bill rather than a cheap plate lunch. The two signals are not identical, but they both point away from budget dining. (opentable.com)
• Dietary usefulness: vegetarian and vegan options are supported by Tripadvisor and the menu itself, and gluten-free options are also listed on Tripadvisor. That said, this is still a seafood-and-sauce-forward kitchen, so strict diet requests may need care. (tripadvisor.com)

Notable Features & Ambiance

The experience is described consistently as tropical and casual, with indoor seating plus a large patio. OpenTable’s listing specifically mentions flower displays, colorful tile floors, bamboo accents, and beach-vibe decor, which lines up with Tripadvisor’s notes on outdoor seating, full bar, and family-friendly layout. (opentable.com)

• Service model and seating style: the restaurant is listed as casual dining with table service, and seating is available inside and on a patio. OpenTable’s page says it is not on their booking network, so direct contact appears to be the safer assumption for planning. (opentable.com)
• Atmosphere and decor: tropical, colorful, and relaxed; the setting is aimed at a broad tourist-and-local dinner crowd rather than a formal room. (opentable.com)
• Amenities / practical features: full bar, outdoor seating, high chairs, wheelchair access, parking available, and a family-friendly profile are all supported by third-party listings. Tripadvisor also lists reservations, table service, and credit-card acceptance. (tripadvisor.com)
• Best fit: a relaxed dinner, especially for travelers who want a wider menu and a tropical dining room rather than a single-cuisine specialist. (opentable.com)
• Weaker fit: diners seeking a quiet, highly polished, or strictly fine-dining experience may be disappointed; the available evidence points to a casual room with some inconsistency risk rather than a highly controlled upscale operation. This is an inference from the review pattern, not a hard fact. (tripadvisor.com)

History & Background

There is some legacy evidence that the Kapaʻa location has been around for years and is part of a Lemongrass Grill group on Kauaʻi, but the strongest current sources do not give a detailed origin story or ownership narrative. A current MapQuest result and older materials suggest the brand has had multiple Kauaʻi references and that the Kapaʻa site has long been operating under Lemongrass Grill / Lemongrass Grill Seafood & Bar naming. (mapquest.com)

Because the stronger, current sources are light on history, the safest takeaway is simply that this is not a new pop-up concept; it is an established local restaurant with enough longevity to have accumulated a recognizable reputation and a substantial review trail. That is an inference drawn from the review volume and legacy references, not a formally documented founding story. (opentable.com)

Review Sentiment Snapshot

What People Love

Review patterns are strongest around flavor variety, seafood dishes, and the setting. Recent Tripadvisor reviews highlight the macadamia nut crusted sea bass, grilled fish, generous portions, attentive service, and pleasant outdoor seating; MapQuest’s embedded reviews and general listing copy also point to a restaurant that people come back to for solid, flavorful dinner plates. (tripadvisor.com)

The most repeatable praise is not just “good food,” but the combination of broad menu, tropical atmosphere, and reliable crowd-pleasers such as sea bass, ribs, prawns, and curry dishes. That suggests the restaurant’s appeal is especially strong for mixed groups where not everyone wants the same cuisine. (opentable.com)

Common Gripes

The main downside signal is inconsistency. Older and current review traces include comments about uneven execution, smaller-than-expected portions in some cases, and vegetarian options that did not impress every diner. These criticisms appear across more than one source, so they are worth taking seriously, though they are not universal. (mapquest.com)

There is also a practical caveat around pricing and fees: at least one recent review mentions a 3% credit-card fee, and the restaurant’s pricing reads midrange rather than cheap. That is not a quality complaint, but it matters for traveler expectations. (tripadvisor.com)

Practical Visitor Tips

• Current hours on Google show 4:00 PM–8:30 PM most days, with Tuesday closed. Tripadvisor shows a slightly different Thursday close time in one listing, so double-check before going, especially if you are planning around the end of the week. (opentable.com)
• This is primarily a dinner place; the published listings do not frame it as a lunch stop. (tripadvisor.com)
• Walk-ins may be possible, but the room includes patio seating and is described as popular with locals and tourists, so busy evenings could still benefit from calling ahead. OpenTable indicates the restaurant is not bookable through OpenTable. (opentable.com)
• Parking appears available on-site, though one OpenTable listing says “none” for parking details; Tripadvisor and MapQuest both indicate parking is available. Treat parking as likely, but not perfectly documented across all sources. (tripadvisor.com)
• If you care about fees, bring cash or ask about card surcharges; a recent review reported a 3% credit-card fee. (tripadvisor.com)
• Best ordering strategy: lean toward the seafood, ribs, or curry dishes, which are the most repeatedly supported items across the menu and reviews. (opentable.com)

Verification Notes

• Name / address / phone / website: Google Places and third-party listings align on Lemongrass Grill / Lemongrass Grill Seafood & Bar, 4-871 Kuhio Hwy, Kapaʻa, HI 96746, (808) 822-2288, and the current website https://lemongrassgrillkauai.shop/. OpenTable’s older listing points to a different website (lemongrasshawaii.com) and a different phone number, which looks stale and likely reflects legacy data rather than the current listing. (opentable.com)
• Operational status: current Google Places data marks the business as OPERATIONAL, and recent third-party listings also treat it as open. (opentable.com)
• Identity caveat: the business is variously labeled “Lemongrass Grill,” “Lemongrass Grill Seafood & Bar,” and “LemonGrass Grill Seafood & Bar.” These appear to be the same Kapaʻa place, but the branding is not perfectly standardized across sources. (opentable.com)
• Hours caveat: Google, Tripadvisor, and other listings mostly agree on evening-only service, but there is a slight Thursday-hours mismatch across sources; use the most recent direct confirmation before planning. (opentable.com)

Sources

• Google Places / provided place details — https://maps.google.com/?cid=16134849606119614237 — retrieved 2026-04-03. Used as the baseline identity anchor for name, address, status, hours, rating, price level, and category.
• OpenTable listing for LemonGrass Grill Seafood & Bar — https://www.opentable.com/r/lemongrass-grill-seafood-and-bar-kapaa — retrieved 2026-04-03. Useful for ambiance description, menu detail, price range, reservation posture, and signs of legacy/stale contact info.
• Tripadvisor listing for Lemongrass Grill Seafood & Bar — https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60616-d447841-Reviews-Lemongrass_Grill_Seafood_Bar-Kapaa_Kauai_Hawaii.html — retrieved 2026-04-03. Useful for hours, cuisine tags, dietary options, amenities, and recent review examples.
• Tripadvisor alternate listing / legacy record — https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60616-d29015570-Reviews-Lemon_Grass_Seafood_And_Bar-Kapaa_Kauai_Hawaii.html — retrieved 2026-04-03. Useful for confirming alternate naming and a legacy hours pattern; also suggests the site has had multiple listing variants.
• MapQuest listing for Lemongrass Grill - Kauai — https://www.mapquest.com/us/hawaii/lemongrass-grill-kauai-440252656 — retrieved 2026-04-03. Useful for current website/phone/address corroboration and a plain-English summary of the restaurant’s role.
• MapQuest legacy listing marked permanently closed — https://www.mapquest.com/us/hawaii/lemongrass-grill-kauai-380058752 — retrieved 2026-04-03. Useful as stale-signal evidence showing older branding and helping distinguish the current Kapaʻa listing from legacy records.
• MapQuest listing for Lemongrass Grill Seafood & Bar — https://www.mapquest.com/us/hawaii/lemongrass-grill-seafood-bar-633489967 — retrieved 2026-04-03. Useful for current site/phone corroboration and review-pattern hints about live music, bar service, and broad menu positioning.
• Wanderlog place page — https://wanderlog.com/place/details/2277226/lemongrass-grill-kauai — retrieved 2026-04-03. Useful mainly as a secondary corroboration of hours, website, and popular item mentions; treat as supportive rather than primary.