Vegan
American
Take-out
Fusion
Breakfast
Hawaiian
Bistro-style outside cafe est. since the 2000s and became fully vegan in 2017. Formerly known as Eat Healthy Cafe. Offers soups, sandwiches, wraps, and other savory entrees. Has a heavy focus on Beyond Meat. Open Tue-Sat 8:00am-2:00pm, Thu-Sat 5:30pm-8:30pm. Closed Sun, Mon.
184 Reviews
First Review by shaz
Richards_E.C.
Points +717
THIS IS ONE STAR. PLEASE READ. - Edit
Russell’s Plant Based Comfort Food
Read moreIt’s less comfortable than it proclaims.
It may say Vegan on the app, but don’t be fooled. I don’t think this is worth it.
Here’s what I got:
Strawberry Dream Smoothie
Pina Colada (smoothie)
Perhaps both smoothies weren’t blended enough, not simple to sip and not much flavor to either if I’m being honest.
Tempeh BLT Sandwich- fiancé reported bugs in the sandwich. Sandwich tasted healthy/earthy.
Banana Pancake bites- “best” part, small portion for the price- but I liked the consistency of the pancakes and their flavor
Tex mex burrito- simple breakfast burrito, nothing notable about its flavor- just did its job, cannot complain
(Breakfast until 11am)
Here’s where the biggest issues come behind the food.
-Spiders in the awning.
[If you dine at the restaurant, the awning has tons of spiders above you. I’m good.]
-Check your silverware!
[The silver straws were mucky and unclean on the inside. If these are that bad, how are the rest of the facilities?]
-Spray bottles on each table to move the chickens away.
[not the biggest problem in the world, but kind of weird]
All in all. I didn’t feel comfortable with what I ate after the fact. I would suggest going to Imua and enjoying the food they have instead. I would suggest that this establishment ensures everything is Vegan, expands the menu, make tastier food, clean up the place, and use proper sanitation. 1 star.
Reviewers- Don’t rate things high because it has vegan options!
This is a poor representation of a vegan establishment and I hope for higher standards when it comes to vegan foods for the benefit of the cause (veganism).
Guest
siegburg03
Points +2748
Sehr lecker - Edit
Sehr lecker und sehr groß. Man kann sich bald schon eins teilen, macht wirklich satt
Read moreGuest
vegeman69
Points +31
Amazing Vegan restaurant - Edit
Russell's is for everyone who appreciates amazing looking and tasting food, a wonderful owner and staff, and a great location! I love their Teriyaki Burger and pretty much everything else they serve. You also have to join them for Wet Weiner Wednesday's!!!
Read morePros: High quality food, Great staff and customer service, Super dog friendly
Guest
Cool Cuisine
Points +175
Refreshing lunch treats - Edit
We came right after landing here for vacation. Got the acai bowl and BLT with their delicious lemonade (not overly sweet, made with coconut milk added). The bowl was very filling with lots of textures....fresh and dried fruit, hemp seeds, granola, and I added almond butter. My partner loved the fresh bread, overall flavor, and tempeh in the sandwich.
Read morePros: Good food, Nice place to sit, music, and roosters crowing, Fast service with a smile
Guest
phyredelic
Points +125
Disclaimer - we went on a Wednesday - Edit
I had a hard time deciding what rating to give. I wanted to like this better than I did. The caveat is we went on a Wednesday, which meant only one person in the kitchen and they were doing hot dog night (beyond bratwurst).
Read moreIt wasn't what we came for, but they were willing to make us a few things off the regular menu. Servers tried to make the best of our experience.
We will give this another chance on another trip, but overall this trip our feeling was - "meh". Would love more options that weren't just Beyond fake meat.
The purple sweet potato appetizer with banana chutney was pretty deliciouz
Guest
conservomom
Points +89
Great food, lovely atmosphere - Edit
There are very few vegan restaurants on Kauai, and this is the best one I found. The owner's name isn't Russell. That's the name of his dog, who died a few years back.
Read moreWe had the Tex Mex burrito and pancake bites for breadfast. The maple syrup on the pancakes was expertly blended with coconut milk and walnuts to make a tasty treat that wasn't as sweet as plain maple syrup. The burrito was perfect; not too spicy, not bland.
For dinner we had the chick pea curry wrap and a kale salad, which were excellent too. And we enjoyed the chickens, lizards, cat and other critters. I suppose the chickens can be a bit annoying, but we liked them a lot. I highly recommend this place!
Pros: tasty food with plenty of options, Lovely outdoor atmosphere, Friendly people and great service
Cons: Souvenir T-shirts were only available in black
Guest
vegan_erin
Points +30
Sooo good! - Edit
We split a salad, a burger, and a cheddar jalapeño roll app. All delicious! We’re going to try to make it back while we’re in town- worth a second visit!
Read moreGuest
tanddveggies
Points +72
Great breakfast burrito - Edit
All vegan restaurant. Ate the breakfast burrito and a BLT sandwich, both were good.
Read morePros: All vegan, Healthy choice
Guest
V3g4n4Tr33s
Points +24
Delicious food and loving atmosphere! - Edit
The food was delicious and the place is run by someone who clearly cares.
Read moreGuest
Tommy817
Points +1351
Great Breakfast with Chill Vibes - Edit
Everything was loaded with flavor. Hard to pick a favorite breakfast item.
Read morePros: Super Friendly Staff
Guest
SLO Jo
Points +153
We Love Russell's! 🐾 - Edit
We have visited Kauai a few times, and we always eat at Russell's several times with each trip. We are happy to see the restaurant is still going strong. The owner PJ has made menu modifications and changed breakfast and lunch to counter-service to help cut costs so his restaurant can continue to survive in this challenging economy. Our favorite dishes are the flakiest cheesiest breakfast sandwich, the pancake bites, the acai bowls, the no tuna melt, and the tempeh bacon BLT. The potato salad is also really good as are the frikake fries. Delish! Note Russell's is not open on Sundays and Mondays.
Read moreGuest
Sodont
Points +66
Great Vegan Food Friendly People - Edit
Really good food, we’ll go back again.
Read moreGuest
jerojeri
Points +152
Long wait, decent food. - Edit
Teriyaki pineapple burger. Long wait and decent food.
Read moreGuest
Ophelia_Jett
Points +891
Outdoor vegan eaterie - Edit
A brunch place with smoothies, some entrees like vegan pancake, hummus wrap, quesadilla, and more. Use eco friendly packaging. Outside seating which is a bit rural, and mixed with wildlife. Average prices, good quality food.
Read morePros: Vegan menu, Eco friendly , Variety of smoothies
Cons: Limited hours and changed menu, Bathroom cleanliness
Guest
ynwa
Points +2059
Very island and all vegan - Edit
Owner is fabulous and proudly represents an all vegan restaurant which is unique in every way. For vegans on Kauai this is a must visit.
Read moreGuest
EnochFeroten
Points +36
Good to try for vegan visitors - Edit
Beautiful relaxed setting. Good food
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-02-14
Pros: The mock tuna is very good
kindlizard
hi, curious if you can explain what went down, did you all argue about anything prior to ordering etc... thanks
Read morewhat did you order?
Guest
marriedavegan
Points +583
Very Tasty - Edit
We went for lunch because only open for dinner Thursday-Sat. Everyone was pleased, the food was really tasty. We shared the jalapeño chedder biscuits and purple potato samosas which were yummy. My wife and I shared the kale salad, nice and the kale was not rough. I had the teriyaki pineapple burger, really good. My youngest had the bbq cheddar jalapeño burger and loved it, older one had the tempeh BLT and said it was good. Will go again. Update: went for dinner. Totally different vibe. The owner was so nice. The tUNa melt is great and the Japanese curry was really good. Also tried the ranch burger, also really good. The burgers came with a salad on the dinner menu.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-01-02
Pros: Everything very tasty, All vegan
Cons: Small portions, Pricy for small portions
Guest
AnimalLiberationToday
Points +177
No complaints - Edit
Vegan restaurant on Kauai. Enough said.
Read moreGuest
allirae
Points +1355
A must! - Edit
This place has the best vibes and amazing food. A vegan dream! We came for dinner but plan to come back for a lunch while we’re here since the menu is a little different and has some yummy things on it!
Read moreGuest
leiei
Points +17
Overpriced and potentially toxic - Edit
Came because of the positive reviews but left disappointed.
Read more1. They don’t give you water, you have to buy their bottled water, how’s this vegan/environment friendly?
2. Small portions for the price. Ordered their breakfast tofu scramble burrito on rice for $18 but the portion was so small and they used frozen mixed veggies
3. Potentially toxic serving ware. They don’t have real plates to serve food, instead they use a small basket and line it with a piece of paper. The problem is the paper ink transfers to the food in it. My rice had the pink ink from the paper, it was disturbing
kindlizard
That is a curious problem. I see most pictures (not all) are on proper plates or bowl. Was yours to-go, or served at a specific time of day?
Read moreYour feelings are valid, though I would say when I was on a different island yrs ago I saw similar shortcuts you noted and it may be a case of using the resources available consistently.
I'll say too, that island prices are typically more from what I recall... but prices everywhere have gone up recently too.
SLO Jo
This restaurant switched to "counter service" for lunch and dinner. You order at the counter and seat yourself. They did this as a way to cut costs, so they don't have to pay for another staff person for washing dishes. I am happy the owner PJ has found ways to stay in business. It is incredibly hard to run a restaurant in this current economy, and I am grateful this restaurant exists. We did have our breakfast served in a paper-lined basket and didn't have the problem of color transferring to our food. We ordered the flaky breakfast sandwich and mini pancakes. Maybe it's just a problem with the scramble? It would be good to mention it to the owner, so he could correct it. Dinner continues with normal table service and is delicious..
Read moreSLO Jo
I should add that they allowed us to fill our own water bottles with tap water, which I believe is what they normally serve at dinner table service, and it was fine.
Read moreGuest
SouthernmostVegan
Points +1811
Vegan in Kaua'i! - Edit
It's so great that this place exists given the lack of fully vegan restaurants. The ambiance is really cozy, too. The food is not memorable or inventive, but I would go back to support them every chance I have.
Read moreGuest
MarcoClarkPretelin
Points +20
Best in Kauai! - Edit
We came here a year ago and loved it. This year we had to come back and it was just as incredible. We met the owner and came back a few nights later for my birthday. PJs chef specials are unreal, and so unique. Everything is made with so much love and it was an honor to hear about his inspiration from watching his mom cook, and his story how he ended up creating Russel’s in honor of his dog. Tehane, Tiger, Tasha, thank u all!! The absolute best 🙏🏽💯❤️
Read morePros: Chef Specials , Owner/Staff, Ambiance
Guest
thegovna
Points +96
The banana pancakes are worth the wait - Edit
I got the banana pancakes and it was worth the extra 20 min wait as they made them fresh. So delicious! Even ordered breakfast and lunch for the plane the following day. Highly recommend stopping here for some great vegan food!
Read moreGuest
eliikard10
Points +18
Best of the best on Kauai! - Edit
Such a cute little place and friendly environment. Amazing food and employees. Wasn’t around for the events they host but saw on their instagram that they do fun little event stuff in their backyard!
Read morePros: Food!, Friendly, 100% plant based
Guest
AleeshaLynn
Points +1049
Best vegan spot on kauai - Edit
Glad we found this place. My açaí bowl was excellent and the jalapeño poppers were good as well. They have a nice backyard area to sit. Watch out for chickens.
Read moreGuest
Sarah_and_Michelle
Points +24
Great place for vegans! - Edit
Such a nice place for vegans! We had the Açai bowl and banana pancakes. Really nice sitting area :-)! A little less sugar would’ve been nice - other than that, great experience.
Read moreGuest
Annabelleleee
Points +168
Fave restaurant on Kauai - Edit
Food is amazing, staff are super kind, and the space is super cute. I love that they have resusable utensils (including straws). Hands down the best menu and food I’ve had on Kauai.
Read moreGuest
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