Savage Shrimp serves up one of the best lunches on Kauai.

Just past the rotary on the way to Spouting Horn, there’s a lunch wagon on Lawai Road in front of Prince Kuhio Park.  It’s usually there from around 11AM until around 3PM.   On a calm day, you’ll probably smell it before you see it.  And the smell will be intoxicating.

It’s Savage Shrimp, a hidden gem that’s a favorite lunch spot for locals and savvy visitors alike.  The owner, Susan, has her shrimp flown in from the Gulf of Mexico, and she cooks them to order three ways:  Garlic, Spicy (known as Grasshoppa), and Bahia, made with coconut milk, cilantro, and local tomatoes.

For $12.50 (cash only), you’ll get ten big peel-and-eat shrimp, a couple of scoops of rice, and some tangy cole slaw made with passion fruit dressing.  And if you’re a light eater, one plate is plenty for two.

With its creamy, complex sauce, the Bahia Shrimp is our favorite.

Susan’s planning to move Savage Shrimp into a strip mall in the spring.  Let’s hope in the new space it will still be one of the best Kauai restaurants.