My memories of Kauai are connected to food. Hamura Saimin. Ono Burgers. Bull Shed. It is one of those places that I feel most at ease in. Hawaiian Airlines helped spark the desire to go to the Garden Isle by selling $39 one-way tickets. It is one those places that I have wonderful memories with my mother. Dad was working on Uncommon Valor. We ate at Ono Burgers, Hamura’s, Bull Shed, and Waipoli Cafe. The idea of going back to Kauai made all those memories rush back. These are not owned by people, that I know of. We were headed to Unko’s for breakfast. I called Cheryl R. and told her my plans and she explained that in Kauai on a Sunday, it is best to call to make sure a place is open. After no one answered the phone, Cheryl suggested TIP TOP CAFE and explained that this was where locals go.
Tip Top Cafe is located in Lihue, not far from the airport. There is an attached motel and lots of parking. However…there is a line to get into the the cafe. When we stood in line, a person in the line told me that the line moves quickly. Cheryl told me that there used to be an hour limit of time in the restaurant. We were seated quickly. Cheryl recommended the fried rice loco moco, which she said I would love because I love salty food. Cheryl also recommended the oxtail soup, which I didn’t know places serve during breakfast. In fact, on Oahu it seems like oxtail soup is more a later in the day soup that is super expensive.
We didn’t wait too long. There was a big dining area and what appeared to be two servers, but the person that served us was perfect. The order was perfect and quick. We ordered two oxtail soups, pancakes, fried rice loco moco, and a side of goteborg sausage.
This was the first time Lupe ate oxtail soup and I have to say, she loved it. This is definitely one of the oxtail soups Mom would’ve loved. Unlike the restaurants on Oahu, this oxtail soup has long rice in it. The oxtail was tender and the broth was excellent. The ginger and cilantro was fresh. There are some restaurants that give you the minced ginger from a jar, but it doesn’t taste the same – these people need to taste the oxtail soup at Tip Top.
The fried rice loco moco was exactly like Cheryl mentioned, salty in the way I love it. The gravy was light but tasty. I should’ve asked for over easy eggs, but it was still ono. The pancakes were made from scratch. Goteborg is a sausage that I’ve only seen on Kauai. It was cut thin and crispy. It reminds me of salami. I heard that this sausage is used for musubi on Kauai.
The prices are reasonable and the food is worth the wait in line. If I get a chance to go to Kauai again, Tip Top is at the top of the list. https://www.tiptop-motel.com/ https://www.tiptop-motel.com/cafe.html #tiptopcafekauai
Kau Kau Sistahs 
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