The Shops at Kukuiula

Longs drug store was a nice feature at this center for the basics, food, snacks, sunscreen. Their pharmacy was a great help also.

I remember when this place opened when I was in high school we would always go here to shop at Poipu Surf and Quiksilver. This is probably my favorite shopping center on the island. It’s new and clean and has a lot of parking and cool places to eat and shop. The restaurants are a mix of fancier places, like Merriman’s and Eating House 1849, as well as more casual places like Savage Shrimp and Uncle’s Shave Ice. The stores range in price from something like Quiksilver to local higher-​end boutiques. If you want a unique gift but not something too touristy, I would suggest stopping in Poipu Surf! They sell some of their own branded hats/​shirts for a decent price (they also offer a 10% kamaaina discount for all the locals out there).
They recently opened a Long’s Drugs here too so it saves the hassle of having to drive to Lihue if you’re already in Poipu/​Koloa. We noticed that this Long’s is more expensive than the Lihue and Kapaa ones, but it’s a lot more convenient if you need to get some snacks for the beach and things like sunscreen.
To be quite honest, everything in this shopping center is pretty expensive (but really what do you expect in Poipu?) but even if you don’t want to buy anything, it’s a nice place to window shop, walk around, and kill some time.

Unless you want expensive things or looking for an expensive restaurant don’t bother on coming here.

Of all the shopping centers we visited during our stay in Kauai, this was by far the best. Great selection of restaurants & stores. All the shops were pretty fun and interesting — I don’t know about you, but I got tired of the same old touristy tshirt shops around the Island. Not to say there weren’t a couple shirt stores here, but the Shops at Kukuiula also had a great variety of other touristy things and real decent quality items.
Mahina and Soha were standouts stores to me, as well as lunch at Savage Shrimp and a fantastic dinner at Eating House 1849. And what night in Poipu is complete without dessert at Lappert’s?
We visited around lunchtime specifically to eat at Savage Shrimp, and after having a quick walk around, we decided we would return to shop and eat dinner. Parking at lunchtime was pretty easy, but the lot had started to fill up by the time we returned to the shops for dinner (around 7pm). Luckily, we didn’t have to valet and found a spot on our own. The nighttime ambiance was lovely — those beautiful lanterns hanging in the trees kept the feel of a beautiful tropical evening, giving our night a touch of romance. Plus the nighttime atmosphere was fairly lively due to the 2^nd floor bars and restaurants, which is somewhat of a rarity on Kauai! Most of the shops seemed to close around 9pm, but some stayed open until 10pm. The only time I was conscious of the crowd was while we were waiting in line for Lappert’s. Once we had our ice cream, we sat at an outside table and talked, people-​watched, all while looking up at the stars. Definitely not an experience I can have at home!

I went to the shops at 4pm on a Wednesday to see their farmer’s market. There were people selling fruits/​veg, soup, kimchee, coconut to drink and eat, fried rice, and baked goods! I thought the shops themselves had a good variety to them. They went from Tommy Bahamas and small boutiques to Roxy. There are also quite a few restaurants and cafes here, including ice cream and shaved snow. During the farmer’s market, there was also live music! Even if you don’t plan to buy anything, it’s nice to just walk around.

The Shops at Kukui’ula are 5 years old. The first review was written 5 years ago yesterday. Alan and I were uncomfortable w/​the entire Kukui’ula concept, the expensive homes, the golf course, etc. It seemed a threat to the rural, slow moving Poi’pu we love. We didn’t want it turning into Maui, or worse. When we were last on Kauai in December 2012 The Shops were already established and we liked it. The architecture is solid and attractive and the lighting at night is magical. We liked that Savage Shrimp had moved here from its truck and that it had remained reasonably priced. We ate at Tortilla Republic downstairs and Merriman’s and Josselin’s upstairs. If the Culinary Market was happening on Wednesday afternoons we didn’t know about it. We don’t do much shopping, so we didn’t explore the shops and galleries.
This year we returned and The Shops has filled in w/​new restaurants, shops and galleries w/​more on the way. The shop that used to be near the Kalaheo Café has moved in here, although I don’t remember its name. Crazy Shirts is moving here from Koloa and a new Long’s is being built near the roundabout. We were chatting w/​one of our favorite employees at the resort and he commented on what an economic driver The Shops has been. I hadn’t considered that, but hundreds of jobs have been created in restaurants and shops. Having a Long’s here in Poi’pu will save locals as well as tourists a drive into Lihue. What I really enjoy about The Shops, though, is how lively the place is, particularly at night. Families w/​young children, groups of people who could be either tourists or locals, people greeting each other in restaurants, having come in separately. It’s a busy social scene. They have added free valet parking at night, which we have used and appreciate. It’s not old school Hawaiian, true, but it’s a great gathering place and I like that.

This was one of our family’s favorite places in Kauai. We went here 3 times on our visit to enjoy great food and shopping. Unique stores and awesome food. Lovely feel to the place and you can just sit out and hang out with family and enjoy. Can’t wait to come back on our next visit to Kauai!

Super modern shopping plaza with a great farmers market. Good variety of shops and restaurants here. May be off putting to those who are looking for a more traditional hawaiin shopping plaza

I love the farmer’s market here. It is a beautiful structure, very imperical. The burger place is excellent, cannot remember the name of it. The grocery store has some great items, very expensive. I am assuming it’s since everything is perhaps being shipped in. Nice stop for the farmer’s market and a burger/​ice cream snack.

Yuck this place. I love Savage Shrimp, but all of the other businesses here seem either fake or way over priced or both. It doesn’t feel like authentic Hawaii at all. I suppose if you’re a rich tourist looking for the comforts of home, this place would work for you, but I like coming to Hawaii for the real thing and this ain’t it. It also used to at least not be crowded, but now it’s uncomfortably packed.

If you are looking for moderately priced restaurants that are not run down, this is the place for you.

I like this new village. It’s clean and not crowded. Good parking. Not a lot of shops, but what there is, are upper scale/​price. The market has great pizzas and good choices of other fresh lunch and breakfast sandwiches.

Great shopping area with good options for sit down food, awesome shaved ice (Uncle’s) and has a small, delicious farmer’s market.

Touristy. Seems kind of like a ghost town when you’re walking around this shopping village. But there are some restaurants here that seem promising (and Bubba’s — mmm). First time here since it was built. Came to check it out since it was a rainy kinda day. I’d come back to try the eateries.

Very cute village/​market. There are activities here on the weekends, farmer’s market nearby, and galleries. Just a cute walk, even though you’re not buying anything. They have a few great snacks such as ice cream, burgers, hot dogs, ice cream, shaved ice. I like the gallery, as well, small but adequate. Some shopping also, such as Quicksilver
It is very clean, organized. The buildings look very well maintained, the prices here are a bit more expensive, I can understand why. The bathrooms are clean, and the trees are well manicured. Just a short walk around, it looks even cuter in the evening when the lights are starting to turn on.

Kuku’ula Village is one of the newer touristy developments on this beautiful garden island. So new that the it couldn’t even be located by the GPS or cell phone map. It housed lots of restaurants and shops, half of those weren’t bad. I had a good meal there and I enjoyed browsing through all the art galleries.
Pricy shops? Perhaps. But there are really no other shopping places on Kauai with such trendy ambiance. It is a good romantic place for a walk at night.

Yup, it’s another tropical shopping center for tourists, but one can never have too many convenient shopping stops! Highlights include: Savage Shrimp (you must go here and have the shrimp tacos), Tortilla Republic (get the happy hour nachos), Lappert’s Ice Cream (trust), and check out Living Foods Market.
Bathrooms are located at the two ends of the shopping area. Feels a bit more upscale than Poipu Shopping Village, but not sure it has as many shops… And definitely doesn’t have the Starbucks that PSV does.

There are some great shops & restaurants here. Lappert’s Ice Cream. Savage Shrimp. Living Foods Market. Quiksilver. A good mix of upscale and affordable shopping here. The shopping center and all shops were super clean. ATM on-​site. Restrooms are well-​kept. A great place for general shopping.

This is a tourist trap, but it is so beautiful and has such a wide array of place to eat, drink and be merry. My favorite shop is Uncle’s Shave Ice. They have the best Farmer’s Market here, but it is very expensive– so don’t be shocked when a banana costs like two dollars. Great surf shops, bikini shop and really nice art galleries. Living Foods Market serves tasty food in a clean and friendly atmosphere. For sure check this place out– even if you are a local:)

Kukui’ula Village shopping center is the south shore’s new gathering place! Its home to Bubba Burgers, Dude Dogs, Living Foods Market & Café, Merriman’s Kaua’i, Lappert’s Ice Cream & Coffee & more. I wanted to check out Josselin Tapas Bar & Grill but they were still closed! Its a cool hip nice place to chill after a long day of soaking up in the Sun! =D There are lots of Art Galleries to check out as well! I’ll most definitely check this place out again the next time I’m in Kaua’i.
The Developers state that its Influenced by the island’s rich history, rural landscape and cultural heritage; Kukui‘ula Village is reminiscent of a quaint sugar cane town of old Kaua‘i. The authentic plantation-​style architecture is a departure from a mainland mall setting
Kukui‘ula Village is located on the sunny south shore of Kaua‘i, just off of Ala Kalanikaumaka (the new western bypass road in Po‘ipu) at the roundabout that leads to Spouting Horn.
Heres Kukui‘ula Village Hours:
11:00am — 9:00pm Daily