Kauai’s first gastropub opens in Kapaa

Scotch eggs, pub steak and a smattering of beer-battered bites line the menu at one of Kauai’s newest restaurants, and the island’s first gastropub.

Avalon Gastropub in Kapaa also boasts burgers and fried brussel sprouts, fried mac ‘n’ cheese and a quinoa salad with roasted Okinawan sweet potato, piquillo peppers, red onion, kale and roasted butternut squash.

Located along the Coconut Coast in the Kinipopo Shopping Village, at Avalon Gastropub you can grab a margarita, one of a few beers on tap, or a can of Underwood wine inside at the bar or at a table, or eat outside in the breeze.

“A lot of this is stuff that we’ve always made and wanted to share,” said owner and chef Gabe Avalon. “Like the jalapeno poppers, we have them at all our barbecues and parties at our house.”

Avalon opened the gastropub with his wife Alison in mid-May over a busy graduation weekend while simultaneously celebrating one of their three sons’ commencement at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

“It took us 25 days to get in,” Alison said. “We flew over to UH and then back home and opened right away.”

It’s the first restaurant the couple has opened and the result of both of their longtime careers in the food industry and their goal to run a family-friendly eatery with an emphasis on the food and alcohol on the side.

Gabe Avalon is grillmaster of the gastropub.

He grinds meats in-house for sausages and hamburgers while Alison slings deserts like lilikoi crème brule — made from scratch in-house.

“We use local ingredients as much as possible. Right now we’re using Makaweli beef,” Alison said. “Basically, we like to make comfort food and upscale it.”

Gastropubs are traditionally places for culinary creativity with fare a step above cold-cut pub grub, and Alison said that’s reflected in their menu, which changes with the seasons and with inspiration.

“The food is all fresh, made from scratch; all of our sauces and everything. We have a smoker and smoke everything in-house,” Alison said.

For those with food allergies, Avalon Gastropub is a haven, as the owners have a firm understanding of cross-contamination and preparation for things like shellfish allergies and those with celiac disease.

Their French and sweet potato fries aren’t breaded, and they have gluten-free bread and a dedicated gluten-free fryer.

“Just tell us you have an allergy and it’s easy for us to accommodate,” Alison said.

Plant-based options include salads, and also The Beyond Burger, which is a plant-based burger marketed to taste like a traditional beef burger.

Prices range from $8 to $18 for small plates like truffle fries, beer-battered fish tacos and poke nachos; $12 to $22 for main dishes like The Avalon Burger and the pub steak; and $10 to $12 for dessert like bread pudding and cheesecake.

Beers are in the $6-to-$8 range for bottles and cans, mules and margaritas are $12, and wine is between $8 and $11.

Currently Avalon Gastropub has a temporary liquor license and is working through the process of getting the full-blown liquor license.

The emphasis, however, will always be on the food at Avalon Gastropub.

“We’re a fun, family-friendly place, where we want you to enjoy your food,” Gabe said.

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Jessica Else, environment writer, can be reached at 245-0452 or jelse@thegardenisland.com.