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Loco Moco and Joe’s on the Green, Poipu

Joe’s on the Green, Poipu

The only bad thing about staying in on the South shore on Kauai in Poipu is that breakfast options outside of the on-resort restaurants are a bit limited. This time around, I found Joe’s on the Green. Joe’s is located at the entrance of the Kiahuna Golf Course, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and – best of all for an early riser like me – opens for breakfast early.

The menu is pretty varied, with a good mix of local favorites like Loco Moco and Spam Musubi, as well as banana mac nut pancakes, fresh fruit, eggs and french toast. It’s all reasonably priced, (a good thing considering this is a tourist-heavy area and prices can reflect that), with a good mix of small items and bigger dishes. Naturally, I wanted some dishes with local flavor and immediately set my sights on the Loco Moco. Loco Moco is a breakfast dish that consists of a hamburger patty on rice, covered in gravy and topped with a couple of over-easy fried eggs. Joe’s version included mushrooms, onions and cheese, too. The dish is amazing and is a great way to wake up if you had too many mai tais the night before. It’s hearty, so don’t plan on hitting the beach right away unless you split a serving with someone.

Moco Loco at Joe’s on the Green, Poipu

Moco Loco innards

Some other goodies I tried were Kalua pork – which is Hawaiian barbecue roast pork, shredded – and egg, and a giant cinnamon bun. The bun was a good addition to breakfast, but even better was the super spicy locally made hot sauce set out on the table that I splashed over my pork and eggs! Coffee, of course, was also a must so early in the morning. I appreciated the fact that the left the carafe at the table for me so I could simply top off my mug as I ate. I also appreciated the fact that it was good coffee.

Eggs and kalua pork at Joe’s

Many of the diners seemed to be families on vacation or couples getting ready for a round of gold. Others were clearly regulars, who ordered their usual without seeing the menu while on their way to their favorite tables. Joe himself came around to all the tables while were were there to see how everything was, which was a nice touch and gave the place a really friendly vibe. The restaurant is open, so you get a great view while you eat and get to enjoy the nice Hawaiian weather, too.

Giant Cinnamon Bun

Joe’s on the Green
2545 Kiahuna Plantation Drive
Koloa, HI 96756-9564
(808) 742-9696

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5 Comments
  • Cathy
    April 6, 2010

    I love Hawaiian food, but I thought it was Loco Moco?

  • Owlchick
    April 6, 2010

    It’s Loco Moco.

  • Yasmine
    April 6, 2010

    I liked the description of the Moco Loco, sounds so exotic, it brought me right away in Kauai!
    Such a heavy breakfast you had, how did you tuck into your swinsuit after that ?!

  • Lia
    April 6, 2010

    Glad you had fun in Hawaii! It’s “Loco Moco.”

  • terri
    April 6, 2010

    i don’t suppose you’ve tried to recreate the loco moco since you got back? imho, it’s the gravy that makes this dish. your picture made me homesick (and hungry).

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