The top 20 music shops in Hanapēpē, United States

Great selection

All you need is there ck out nty B

They have great fresh produce, but it sells quickly. Yummy papayas, eggplants, squash, beans, bananas, you name it! The cashier is so nice and the prices are reasonable. CASH ONLY.

Didn’t buy anything but if you think this store has “Spirits” it really doesn’t. There is practically nothing here in terms or a selection or spirits or wine. There’s more of a selection of food, chips and some beers here. I wouldn’t recommend coming here if you think that there is alcohol here, at all. This is probably good for convenience if you’re staying near here and there’s no other option. It is also a very dirty store, looks like it hasn’t been cleaned in years. Service was also not very good, we didn’t even get greeted when entering the store when it was completely empty and the person working there was right beside us.

We three malihinis stopped in hoping to see some local craftsmanship and buy some ukes.

The owner quickly guided my friends to a solid, durable and affordable uke in a fun, red color for their young son. He played it simply and then with flair to show the range. He was great at explaining and guiding beginners to a choice they could feel confident about.

The store had a nice array of ukes, soprano, tenor and baritones…including some real lookers with gorgeous butterfly grain tops and delicate inlays made here on the island.

I asked to see a couple tenors. I played a little. He immediately asked if I play banjo (I do) based on my picking style and I mentioned I prefer a less bright sounds and he brought out a tenor tuned to low G. (I hadn’t mentioned it, but was in fact what I was hoping to find.) It was more expensive than I was planning, but I fell in love with the tone and splurged for my holiday gift to myself.

A week later, I am obsessed. It’s my favorite instrument. Such quality sound in such a portable and fun form factor.

I googled the model online and found that tho it was more than I budgeted for, he sold it to me for way under list (and out of stock everywhere), it’s a great value for a fine uke. (I got a Kala Honduran Mahogany Doghair tenor).

I couldn’t be more happy and would definitely return to Kalaheo Music next time I’m in the market for a uke!

Had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Ron a couple of weeks back. Very knowledgeable, very helpful, and genuinely wanted me to get the perfect guitar for my playing style and price range. Informed me of Music & Strings’ layaway program – where you can put a down payment on an instrument, and then make monthly payments on it until you’ve paid for it in full. (You don’t get to take it home until it’s fully paid for, but Ron will let you come in the shop and play with it in the meantime!) If you’re wanting to buy, repair, or tune up a ‘uke or guitar, I highly recommend you check out this local place before going anywhere else.

Beautiful sounding and looking custom instruments at a great price!

The clerk was not very friendly. We did end up getting a UKE but from another place. Nice selection of instruments.

Lots of ukelele stuff (naturally) but a lot of accessories that I have never seen before like jelly caps for your fingers so if you’re a beginner you’re fingers won’t hurt as much. A very vast selection of ukeleles and you’re even able to take lessons!

I found this place to be hard to shop at. Due to Covid there are plastic screens up almost all along the counter. The workers while trying to helpful left me feeling very defeated. They do give good guidance. Make sure it is your first stop in your ‘ukulele shopping or you may find what they say contradicting what others say.

Was looking for a ukulele while in Hawaii, and thought this was a good place to try. Sadly, the staff was rude and literally all of the products are behind the counters so when the staff isn’t being helpful… good luck seeing if the ones you like feel or play nicely. On top of that, the store is tiny. Many better I Keller and music stores on Kauai that I’ve found after stopping here. Nicer people, better prices, and you can actually try a few chords without being hassled. Save your time, these people don’t want your money.

The woman I spoke with was very kind and helpful, however the gentleman there was rude and dismissive. After making a purchase I was told to leave the store. I won’t be doing any more business here.

Our family went to Art Night on Fri July 29 and had a great time. It was nothing like the recent reviews. There were lots of vendors, food and otherwise, there were musicians, and lots of shops were open. Be prepared to look for a parking spot for a little while (maybe arrive a little before 5?), but it’s worth it. If you like you could head to Kauai Island Brewing close by in Port Allen when you’re done

so much fun! we loved walking around all the booths and even purchased some beautiful prints!

Went on a lively Friday evening and there were plenty of art, food, and live music along the street. Most of the vendors accepted credit cards or Venmo. Nice variety of food too – Hawaiian BBQ, Japanese, Filipino, fresh fruit and juices, etc. Highly recommend and nice way to support the local community

So happy to have stopped here my first night In kuaui- ppl were really nice – good vibe on the street, music, food— highly recommended

Enjoyed it, but I can tell it’s seen better days. Pretty quiet when we went, not many people there, a few shops open and the people working in them were very nice and friendly. No street vendors, not much of a selection for food since most of the restaurants were closed. Fairly long drive from our resort but beautiful scenery on the way. I have a feeling they’re still recovering from the loss of business when Covid was a bigger issue. I really hope things improve for this event, because it’s a cute little town and I think there’s alot of potential for this to be a very popular attraction.

I’m sure it’s usually better than the experience we had. Due to covid-19, there wasn’t much going on. The bridge is pretty cool and the area is pretty. Most of the shops were closed though, and there was only one place open to eat where I had some of the best Ramen I’ve ever had at Japanese Granny’s Cafe.

Don’t waste your time twice going in August 2019 then hoping it would actually be something worth while giving it a chance again in August 2021. No vendors no food hardly even the local art stores bothered to open or stay open. We went at the 5-9 period Friday nights stating it would be alive.
Again don’t bother the long drive to basically nothing.
You likely would find it possibly busy in the day. But there really isn’t any effort by the local businesses to make this an event and really should be removed from calendar. If one is driving back from Waimea canyon and wanting to drive thru to get a taste of history then drive thru. But don’t have any expectation that there will be anything open other than town mini mart, used book store.

The most special addition to our wedding ceremony. The quartet’s song list is quite extensive and they are all such talented musicians. Very grateful for the role they played in our big day. Highly recommend!

Kaycee played solo at our wedding and it was absolutely beautiful. She exceeded all expectations helping us decide on music and accommodating our needs. She plays beautifully, she is very professional and we highly recommend her!

Kaycee’s talent made the moments in our wedding so incredibly special. She plays so beautifully; perfect tempo, perfect sound. Impeccable skill. I’m forever grateful for her contribution on our significant day.

Super cute vintage boutique on the west side of the island.

Well-curated art and gift shop that you can browse and purchase from during restaurant/evening hours. I only wish they offered postcard format of their beautiful vintage-style posters (and fun pineapple art)!

Cool shirts and cute outfits for the ladies

Found a women’s apparel item I wanted to purchase as a wedding gift. Hours said 9 pm close time. I called ahead and they said they closed at 8:30. Got there at 8. Door locked and the guys just looked at me from the kitchen and ignored me. Tried to call again, no pickup. It was an expensive item– they lost a good sale, and future business.

Puente colgante en pueblo histórico de Hanapepe. Es un paseo rápido y no había turistas

At the end is a wonderful photo gallery owned by a couple

Perfect to see

Fun bridge in the home town of Lilo and Stitch. Cute little art galley on the other side of the bridge with a very friendly, helpful owner.

It’s a short bridge but would post an issue for individuals with motion sickness because it does sway slightly.

Not an attraction I would make a special stop for, but if you are in town it’s a fun thing to walk across. It definitely swings and the water below you isn’t that deep so falling wouldn’t be fun. Only 15 people allowed on the bridge so make sure you count before starting to walk.

Went under the swinging bridge

Ok

The bridge is closed

Got a full right sleeve from Olamon, that includes back of hand, forearm, and inner arm… I’m loving it and will definitely be going back for moreď

Sam has begun a full Kauai Island sleeve , and right side Chest piece. Have enjoyed 2 sittings of impeccable work. Bruthah is awesome, shared my ideas with him, he takes care of the rest. Aloha Always John (Keoni)

If you’re seeking a high-caliber tattoo artist, Sam is undoubtedly the man to see. A truly unique, skillful and provocative artist, Sam seems to have enhanced his artistic skill set through his world travels. With his steady hand and tattooing know-how, he was able to turn a rather flat and lifeless tattoo, which I’d had done by another artist, into a lively masterpiece with what seemed like effortless strokes. I wasn’t sure if he could really fix up a tattoo like that, but he most certainly proved me wrong, and I’m enthusiastically content with the end result to say the least. Mahalo nui Sam!

Got my only tattoo there

Samuel designed matching armbands for my husband and I in a traditional Hawaiian style. He communicated promptly and was easy to talk to. His lines are clean and he’s quick, but not sloppy. He wasn’t heavy- handed at all; I’m a bleeder and I hardly bled at all. His shop is clean and interesting, and he tattoos with a cordless gun. I also appreciated that he’s an adult who has been tattooing forever, so he’s had a lot of life experiences leading him to where he’s at. He designed a tattoo that is both meaningful and beautiful! If I could give 4.5 stars, I would.

They never got back to me. I took it as a sign – this wasn’t the shop for me. No hard feelings – the Universe let me know to look elsewhere. Mahalo.

Updated based on reply:
To be fair, that’s not just “Life”. That is a reflection of your business operation. And I am reviewing your business. If you recognize you cannot staff enough people or otherwise handle the incoming inquiries, then that is your business choice, just as it is my choice to review it. Though it seems you got time to read reviews. What sucks is I did right and tried to schedule 3 months ahead of my visit instead of walking in the same day like a kook and expecting a tattoo. And your reply is basically – “Too bad bruh.” We all make our choices, and we own those choices. You own a business, which extends beyond just time in the chair giving tattoos. Your tattoo work looks dope AF – hope the business aspect improves to match it. Cheers!

Mr. Thad Nakao’s skilled Tribal artwork piece is an intricate, detailed piece. But it was not worth the very torturous six hours of pain and unplanned monetary cost I was not expecting to pay almost Midnight, our last night in Kaua’i.

There ought to have been more communication between Thad and I before and during the tattoo session. I explained previously in texts that I had tattoos in the past, longest sitting with breaks was two / two and.a half hours for a Tribal on the side of my right calf which was also painful. We agreed the week before for two hours at between $150.00 to $160.00, $150 if in cash. But because it took six hours, he decreased if to $130 and we didn’t have enough cash. Thad explained it was because the outlines kept rubbing away and had to be re-drawn, taking a whole lot longer. He said there was an ATM down the street in Town. It was almost Midnight and dark and we’re not from the area. There was a man on a bicycle down the street screaming expletives and cursing at a woman also on a bicycle. It didn’t seem safe to walk down the street in the dark to town withdrawing more cash while already carrying more cash on hand.

I ought to have confirmed that the design Thad drew on the left side of my back was going to take two to two and a half hours. He being the Subject Matter Expert in his tradecraft could have told me it may take longer, possibly four plus hours. If I had known it would take six hours, I would not have done the tattoo or stopped or finished off at two hours wherever in the process Thad would be at.

Even though we took around three breaks, I kept imploring to him if we were almost done because it hurt and was way past my two and half hours pain threshold. Thad was also late, almost arriving at 4:00 P. M.. My appointment was 3:30, so I was expecting to be done at 5:30 P.M.. My Spouse was finishing up his tattoo and we would have a nice dinner, our last night in Kaua’i. We were on a limited budget.

While I asked two small designs to be incorporated into the overall deign, I was still expecting the piece to be a simple, light and feminine Tribal piece similar to the picture I sent to him. My back was already shaking from the excruciating experience. I was dry-mouthed because I was running low with water in my water bottle. This is not criticizing the artwork or quality of the tattoo, but the lack of communication of what I was prepared for time and budget-wise. I feel I ought to have been told “.. for two to three hours, you can only do half of this design.” If I was told that, I would have agreed. Thad ought to have told me this was a four to six hours piece and I would have went with another option. Instead what I thought would be only 15 minutes more at the two and half hours mark resulted in four hours of constantly asking “How much more left?” This will be my last tattoo after this torturous, excruciating, and costly experience to my body, wallet, and memory.

Great deals

Great place for second hand items, clothes, household goods, not to mention trinkets, treasures, and building supplies.

Lots of clothes in good shape for low prices, some are new.

Aloha wear is limited. T-shirts $5. Clean and spacious.

Plenty of stuff for sale. Feels dark and dirty in there. They don’t always take donations which is a bummer when you have a trunk full.

Prices too high for a second hand store.

Prices high and service negative

Merchandise is ok but the sign says they accept donations during hours and I turned up 30 min before closing and was told they would not accept anything. Need better signage to avoid wasting my time.

Everything are well used, about half the price of msrp for donated items.

Great store. nicely decorated. high quality souvenirs. sells alot more than spice. service was great and friendly.

We love this place. Every year we make a trip to Kauai and always stop by to get spices and honey.

Very nice products and helpful store manager.

Good assortment of spices, and etc items

Quaint little shop. Friendly staff.

They have many kinds of kitchen stuff and souvenirs not only seasoning.

Nice to go in and look at stuff but the price for peanut butter was $11

A variety of items some cute, some related to spice and roosters.

Locals recommended this cafe and it was our good fortune to eat there. We all had something different. We all were in heaven. Everything was so good. Fresh, healthy, tasty and great helpful staff. One of us is 90 and they were very helpful describing the menu items. Grandma is a great place to take your Grandma. ! She cleaned her plate. I had two egg bowl. I can’t wait to go back.

Delicious, fresh and super tasty, in a cute and calm back garden.

Stopped here for dinner during Friday night’s art walk. Very cute cafe that served delicious sushi! We ordered the sunomono salad, negi hama roll (yellowtail), eel bomb roll, and Hanapepe roll. I would recommend all of them! Friendly staff too. If hoping to dine for the art walk I would recommend calling ahead for a reservation (although we didn’t need one but it got busy after we arrived)

The food was pretty good, but the reason for 3 stars was due to customer service. First, in the hour and 15 minutes we were there, nobody came to clean up the dishes. When someone finally did, the reason behind hind it was trying to get us to leave. The person clearing the dishes, who I assume was a manager made it a point to tell me that the next customers had already checked in for our table. That’s not my problem. You menu says specifically that you have up to 90 minutes. I thought it was rude to try to rush us along. I would not recommend driving an hour to come here like we had to.

Seattle checking in. Nice setting, great service, fabulous sashimi and sushi.

Food is ok but not worth the price. I sat outside. The flies were annoying.

This place is geared for tourist, they don’t treat the locals well. This is my first experience, and despite the name, this will be my last unless they change their servers. Expect to pay no less than $100 for two, food was okay but not for the price, the miso soup is from the package.

Pricey food, slow and rude service. The waitress rolled her eyes at us…

We tried here once when we first moved here from another island, the food was subpar & it was overhyped. The ramen was bland & the food was overpriced. We wanted to try again to see if it was just that day but every time we try calling to make a reservation or place an order their phone is always busy. We also tried placing an order online which their website gives you that option but it says they’re currently not accepting orders.

Super cool salesperson.

If you are ever in need of Kauai Made Seasonings, look no further than Salty Wahine.

Amazing service. Ty for the salt tasting and history lesson. Can’t wait to get home and start using our assortment.

Great spices

Good salt mixs

Their products are great! Very flavorful. Last time we brought several grinders home; the airport security took a long hard look at everyone of them and even xrayed them.

This time, they were in my husband’s bag and airport x-rayed them, did drug tests on them, made my husband go thru security again and did a very thorough pat down including feeling thru his pants his personal areas. Next time, we are ordering on line.

Incredible cookies

Fabulous cookies!

Amazing crunchy cookies! The white chocolate cranberry cookies were great.

I can only speak for the peanut butter cookies, but I thought they were pretty dry. The staff seemed really nice, though. Maybe some of the more interesting flavors are better?

We bought chocolate coconut and peanut butter flavors. The best thing about the place is the signage because the cookies are dry and crumbly. Staff was not pleasant either.

Customer service was awful. I tried to order 3 macadamia nut cookies for $2.75 as the menu showed as an option. The person working, which I assume was the owner by some of the comments she made, was bagging hundreds of fresh cookies. She said she couldn’t give me 3 cookies until she bagged all the cookies and see if she had any “leftover” to sell the 3 to me. Crazy that she would not sell cookies to a customer right there and ready to make a purchase. Rather she would bag cookies for potential customers that aren’t even there yet. I didn’t buy the bag for cookies. My daughter bought some peanut butter chocolate chip and they were okay.
I don’t recommend this place. Go somewhere where your money is appreciated and where they will actually sell you the product that is intended to be purchased.

Far from the best. Way too dry with almost no flavor. Grandmas cookies from a gas station are way better.

Excellent service, very knowledgeable. Huge range of instruments

Best music store on the island

Went looking for a smaller body guitar for a gift to an upcomming musician(girl) Kawika Nad Mike were present and very helpfull showing me a number of choices…..I settled upon a Taylor GS ! Mahalo guys! She loved it!

A well kept shop that mainly has guitars and ukelele’s. A little on the pricey side.

First thing the manager said to us when we walked in was “don’t touch anything this isn’t a guitar center”. First impression? Poor customer service.

Patient and courteous service. May not be the cheapest available but they might have something in stock where your local dealer may not (which was our case) but it is nice to have someone explain to you things and also let you try the different ukeleles vs an online store. Do be aware that buying a ukelele in Hawaii does NOT qualify as a free carry-on on any airline as the sales staff mentioned.

31 year old Male Staff employee took advantage of me(16 year old). Told me a guitar was 600 dollars retail was 400. Made the mistake of buying it, looked it up later and it was 300 dollars. I knew it was my mistake too. Definitely a store you cannot trust

Sammy has a broad knowledge of the ukulele (and black pearls). You can’t go wrong picking up a uke from here.

What a beautiful store! You feel the Aloha spirit within seconds. Sam had the perfect ukulele for me. He knew exactly what I need. I‘m from Switzerland and had since several years a cheap ukulele. Now I got a upgrade. I bought it 2 weeks ago and I’m still happy.
If you already have a ukulele, take a picture of it with you.

We stopped for shave ice at a place next to Larry’s Music. (Best shave ice on the island “Wailua Shave Ice” in Kapaa.) After we experienced the best shave ice on the island, we walked over to Larry’s Music. We met Sam and Wolfgang. What transpired after was simply magical. If you are curious, interested in Ukulele’s or are a seasoned musician, don’t leave the island without experiencing this place. Sam will educate you on what makes the best sounding ukes. If you want to leave the island with an experience, whether you buy or not, do yourself a favor and don’t leave the island without stopping in to Larry’s Music store. We purchased one of his finer ukuleles and will be back before we leave to purchase another one. 5+ stars!!

Was excited to stop by and had purchased a ukulele for the 1st time at Kamaka in Honolulu 2 yrs prior. I let the owner know I was an amateur, and as I played, he assumed I’d learned my strumming pattern on YouTube…but I listen to the music I like and interpret as an artist. He told me about the free lessons he offers. I said, “Let me try playing this song and you can tell me what to improve.” He says, “I don’t need to hear it; I can tell you right now.” I was enjoying playing and felt a bit disappointed. But I listened as he told me I was playing much too harshly, audiences do not like that, compared it to fingernails on a chalkboard, and told me as my audience it was basically terrible for him to listen to. I replied that he is like 2 feet away. I also agreed I could try softening my strumming, but his ex.of very soft, slow strumming did not fit the style of the song I was going for. I explained that, and he then told me that his dad had to leave the room b/c of my harsh playing. I said, “If he needs to leave that is his opinion and doesn’t offend me”(although it did make me feel bad!) I teach piano students and can’t imagine saying my husband had to leave the room b/c of the way they were playing the piano!! I guess there’s a reason the lessons are free! He could’ve said something positive and nicely asked, “What if you tried softening your strumming a bit?” I would’ve felt and responded totally differently. I was happy to take feedback but was there also for the enjoyment of trying out the instruments. This quickly dissipated through the interaction. He needs to work on his approach with a potential customer! I would never want to take lessons here, let alone purchase an instrument. Side note:, instead of starting out by explaining all the info about the instruments and knowledge, maybe could try asking what I’m looking for in an instrument. I highly recommend Kamaka Hawai’i, Inc. in Honolulu, because they treated me very kindly and respectfully.
*Response: His answer is unnecessarily scathing and of course refuses to take any responsibility or acknowledge my honest experience.
A. Don’t talk about my daughter; barely worth replying to; she was not crying because she wanted to try a ukulele. Has cried on and off during our trip when tired, and we both try to console her. Sad he’s even trying to bring up parenting to throw in our faces! Wow…no we were not looking for ukulele lessons for her but thanks for the offer. I told her about egg rolls…
B. There was 1 lady worker in the room who was quiet, and she was actually grooving a little after he walked out for a bit ;), & maybe 1-2 other people milling around, so I’d hardly say I was “entertaining” the store. As any musician can understand, we enjoy going in to a music store and trying out instruments for learning and enjoyment..
C. He has no understanding or care about the frustration that I’m expressing here. I feel like he’s not used to sharing knowledge then listening to a slightly different response. He drives his point home at the expense of a person’s feelings. He wants to paint me as an obnoxious person who was there to brag on my talents and annoy everyone, though I berated my skills sev. times, then he says all these ppl walked out who weren’t even there. Keep in mind this was a short episode: I was talking with him, trying to figure out some chords, playing a couple short songs in a virtually empty store, until my terrible playing completely emptied it?
D. This was not an official “lesson” to my knowledge. I was there to try out instruments and be free to do so /ask for input
E. I took his advice by playing a song again more quietly, to which he said it was much better, so again his story is not adding up. Also, at that point, I was the one who showed myself to the door!
F. I was told this is common behavior for store owners/employees on the island, but we did have some nice experiences! I’m sure others have enjoyed this store, but I did not, and feel it is worthwhile to share my experience, even if it means I’m berated vs. validated once again in return.

Great beach. NOT crowded ever! Close by, easy access.

Beautiful

Fun short river that we like to SUP on. Not as good as Hanalei or Wailua River but it’s nice if you want a quick freshwater workout on south shore. You get to paddle under the swinging bridge and can be done in under an hour. The wind makes it hard to paddle up stream and very easy back.

Find the best place to put out is just passed Kulture Tatoo Kollective shop.

Ganz lässig. Lohnt sich mit Hunger hinzugehen.

Good place to tour and hang

Always clean, and perfect place to stop and relax at while kiddies play in the park. Come here an hour before art night on fridays in old hanapepe down before 5pm, then once the festivities begin, all the local vendors will be on the streets selling hand made goods and food!

Old town with an assortment of shops. Fun place to wander through. Look out for the mural of Lilo and Stitch here too. Expect to spend an hour here. Good time to pick up gifts too.

We enjoy playing on the playground, and running in the park. Glad the park area is there!
I think a garbage can placed by the parking near the playground would be beneficial.

Alright, needs a upgrade.

Basketball court are damaged, it needs major repair.

Nice park needs picnic tables and maybe a real bathroom

We did not find much to do here