Sports Bar With A View – Happy Talk Lounge – Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii
Update: May 11, 2021 Rumor has it they are opening soon!
With the exception of the Saint Regis Hotel, you will not find a restaurant in Princeville with a better view than the Happy Talk Lounge. Whether you are in need of an island cocktail, a light dinner or a place to watch the game, this sports bar overlooking the grounds of Hanalei Bay Resort is the perfect spot to witness a Kauai sunset (other than from Honu Point, of course).
The Happy Talk Lounge also offers live entertainment every night of the week. Local musicians perform from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. While the music can be a bit loud, depending on the kind of music and number of musicians, it definitely adds to the ambiance and keeps the place lively. One of my favorites is Michael Ruff who plays the keyboard and sings.
Happy Talk Food Menu
The video describes the Happy Talk Lounge menu as having “better bar food” and there was a photo of a personal-sized pizza. This was filmed two years ago and the menu has changed a bit. The “better bar food” now includes:
Pupus (Appetizers) ranging in price from $12 to $17. Some of the choices are: Baked Queso, Summer Rolls, Coconut Shrimp, Ceviche & Chips, House Smoked Baby Back Ribs, Pork Sliders, House Made Hummus and Chicken Wings Lightly Breaded.
Salads ranging in price from $12 to $14
Sandwiches with Fries, ranging in price from $18 to $22. Choices include HT House Burger, Teriyaki Burger, Mozzarella Bacon Burger, Swiss & Bacon Burger, Cane Sugar Pulled Pork Burger, HT House Chicken Sandwich, Teriyaki Chicken, Island Fish Sandwich and Poli-Pomi-Taro Burger.
Five Entrees range in price from $20 to $25. They include Baby Back Ribs, Happy Talk Ahi Poke Bowl, Coconut Shrimp Combo, Teriyaki Chicken Combo and Loco Moco.
Choose from three desserts: ice cream, Happy Toast (a local favorite) and Chocolate Molten Lava Cake.
The Keiki (kids) menu is $12.
Happy Talk Drink Menu
Tropical cocktails and Specialty cocktails range in price from $12 to $16.
Margaritas are $13 to $15.
Happy Talk Shots are $10.
Plenty of beer on tap
Wine by the glass or bottle
Happy Hour is from 3:00 to 5:00 – get $2.00 off appetizers, signature cocktails, beer and wine by the glass.
In checking for reviews I found a mixed bag and honestly this didn’t surprise me. I am sure the service depends on the time of day and how busy they are. The food? Some loved it, some said it was “okay.” Most gave the restaurant either 4 or 5 stars. I will include a couple of reviews I found on Yelp.com.
“We went to Happy Talk our last night in Hawaii, and we’re so glad we did! It was a perfect evening. We showed up around 5:30pm on a Saturday, the valet parking was easy, and we were able to get a table with a beautiful view of the pool with no issues. The cocktails were delicious, and we were also quite happy with our food. We had the coconut shrimp appetizer, which was delicious, and then I had the blackened fish sandwich while my husband had the poke bowl. The food was decent and also seemed reasonably priced for what we got and for the location. We also had the chocolate lava cake for dessert.
While we were quite satisfied with the food, what really made our night was the beautiful view at sunset – see the pictures! There was also live music, an added bonus. Overall, I would definitely recommend this place, and I’ll certainly return if I find myself in Princeville again.”
Brooke T. 10-10-18
“This restaurant combined the great dinner elements we were looking for right up the road from our condo in Princeville: excellent food in a casual bar/lounge atmosphere with subtle music that didn’t vibrate our dishes.
We enjoyed an awesome poke Ahi appetizer, that frankly was one of the culinary highlights of our trip. Fresh, chilled, and with a nice side of perfectly sticky rice. Delicious! I had the seared ahi sandwich, and my wife enjoyed the blackened mahi mahi. Our server was perfectly attentive, and brought us fresh drinks after draining our first round. This would be a great lounge to relax and eat, or just relax and drink.
The views were of nicely manicured grounds with a gently cascading waterfall. Very peaceful. On the night of our visit and contemporary jazz group was playing in the lounge, with just the right amount of volume so you could converse and enjoy the music in between bites. We were able to relax, eat, and enjoy the entertainment with no reservations at 6:30 in the evening on a Friday night. The valet was super busy, but it was complimentary, so no biggie. Overall a very nice experience here, we will be back.”
John T. 9-19-18
Happy Talk Lounge Hours: Daily from 3:00 to 9:00 PM
Reservations are recommended – Go to http://www.happytalklounge.com/
Phone after 3:00 for same day reservations or if online reservations are full – (808) 431-4084
The Happy Talk Lounge is located at the Hanalei Bay Resort, a bike ride away from Honu Point Vacation Rental.
5380 Honoiki Road, Princeville, Kauai
Enjoy!
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