Maui Reviews

We went to Maui for vacation last January. A couple weeks after we got back, we had some friends go over. I put together some observations on a few of the places we went. I figured if anyone else wanted to know what I thought about some touristy things to do on the island, they could. So here are

MARK AND ERICA'S MAUI REVIEWS

Some of our favorites:

Grandma’s Coffee Shop for breakfast – Erica likes the Belgian waffle with fresh fruit. Mark likes the Bullseye, a modern Polynesian dish consisting of sticky rice covered with a layer of corned beef hash, covered with a couple of fried eggs, covered with a spiral of ketchup and circled with grilled slices of spam…..mmmm, tasty.

Coffee refills will cost you 50 cents apiece but it is good coffee. Just be forewarned.

For a nice walk after breakfast, go left at the fork in the road and then take an immediate right at the next fork in the road about 20 yards up. There isn’t much traffic and there are some spectacular views. Nice and relaxing. We turned around at the gate for the bed and breakfast but you can go further but the road isn’t as nice.


Directions from Paia: Take Highway 390 (I think this is the road where you’ll be staying) several miles up to Makawao, turn right on Makawao Avenue. You will pass the massage school in a strip mall on your right and continue heading south. The road ends in a T intersection next to a store called the Pukalani Superette. Turn left there (Haleakala Highway) and then turn right at the next light onto the Kula Highway (Hwy 37). You will stay on the Kula Highway and travel several miles to Grandmas. It is on the right side of the road right next to a gas station.

Paia Fish Company (or something like that) - On the corner in Paia on the main strip and Baldwin Avenue. Any of the fish burgers are really good. Our favorite is the mahi-mahi. If you are eating fries, just get a side order of fries with two burgers. If you order the fries with the burger, you don’t get as much so get a side and share it.

They serve a couple of local beers which are pretty good. I had the Longboard Lager. It has just a hint of sweetness but I liked it. It gets busy right around lunch time. If it’s busy when you go in, you’ll need to keep on eye on seats and maybe one of you sits down while the other orders so you have a place to sit and eat when the food is ready.

Kimo’s in Lahaina for lunch – About half way down the main strip in Lahiana on the ocean side. Tasty lunch selections for a reasonable amount of money. You can sit outside and look at the ocean while you eat. Dinner is real expensive – their menu changes in the evening and it becomes a fancy dinner place. Excellent mai-tais. I don’t know how the beers are, didn’t have one…Sorry, Steve.

Fred’s Mexican Food in Kihei – I was leery eating Mexican at a place called “Fred’s” but the sun was setting on the ocean, we were in the mood for a Margarita, and no other place looked good. I was surprised and delighted on every level. The food was good, the margaritas were excellent and the service was delightful. I suggest the fried calamari for an appetizer. It’s not the chewy, rubbery, crispy ring-things you’re used to on the mainland. These are real chunks of meat lightly breaded and fried. Tacos were fresh. And our server, Alison, was great and finished every interaction with the casual flash of the ‘hang loose’ sign and a “right on”. If you time your dinner right (about 5:30 or 6:00) you can sit outside and watch the sun set onto the ocean. If you request a seat outside you’ll have to wait a bit more but it’ll be worth it.
This is located in the southern part of Kihei on the main strip next to the beach. It is just south of where the Denny’s is located.

Pineapple Grill in Kapalua – If you are looking to have a fancy meal and spend lots of money doing it, there are a ton of places on Maui to do that. A friend of my folks just opened this restaurant in Kapalua and it is pretty damn good so we recommend it.

The owner is a guy named Chris Kaiwi (pronounced kye-ee-vee). He used to run a restaurant called the Plantation but started this new place. If you are spoiling yourself, go here.

This place is spendy! My parents picked up the bill and I think it was close to $200. But we did order a $95 bottle of wine so dinner ran about $100.

Aloha Bike Tours – If you feel like riding a bike down the volcano, this is definitely the company to go with. Groups are small, you ride at your own pace, and actually pedal for several miles. It is a nice and relaxing experience with phenomenal views. Take a camera. A light breakfast is served beforehand and you get lunch at the winery afterwards. There are a couple extra routes you can ride if you are fit enough. The company is run by a former pro rider, but not the exclusionary type who is really into himself like the guys up at Canyon Bicycles.
http://www.mauibike.com/
800-749-1564

Other Points of Interest:

Sugar Museum is BORING and not worth the time, effort or money. Don’t go.

Erica is a big fan of the Old Lahaina Luau. She insisted I put it on this list. It is one of the best luaus around. You'll get a buffet style Hawaiian dinner and it has a pretty good historical dance performance.

Hana Hou is a nice restaurant in the town of Haiku. It doesn’t look like much from the front. It’s in the back of a parking lot next to some sort of market (I think there is also a massage school in the complex, too). Good food. From the parking lot in the front, you wouldn't believe you’re on the edge of a rainforest. But once inside, you find out that you are out in the middle of a rainforest– a rainforest with avocado trees.

Kihei Canoe Club – if you are interested in trying outrigger canoe paddling, they have beginners days where the inexperienced can go out into Maalea Bay with an experienced instructor. Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 8:00 are for beginners. The cost is a tax-deductible $25. http://www.kiheicanoeclub.com/ 808-879-5505

Pollis is the Mexican restaurant in Makawao. Our experience this year was mediocre at best. The chips were cold, the food was fine and the service was borderline rude. We may have been there on a bad day but after flying a couple thousand miles across the Pacific, I hoped for a bit more from a Hawaiian eatery.

We had breakfast at a place called Moanas in Paia. Nice place, pleasant experience, and I had another rice, meat and egg type dish that I liked. Much like the breakfast at Grandma’s.

Pacific Whale Foundation whale cruises will get you out to the whales, and you can find pretty good deals for a couple of the cruises every day. If we hadn’t seen the two whales breach right in front of us, the whole experience wouldn’t have been that great. The cruise was late and no announcement was made to the group of us standing around. The captain was full of himself and was rude to Erica, and we got stuck sitting inside until we decded to just go out and stand on the front of the boat.

This company works to save the whales and whale habitat so I like my money going to that. Again, maybe it was a bad day for them and their A team wasn’t working. They do know where the whales are on any given day because they are studying them. So you will see whales. If you take this cruise, be sure you are toward the front of the group when loading onto the boat. This should be easy because you walk a couple hundred yards from the meeting place to the boat. So stand toward the back of the group as they talk and walk briskly. Once on the boat, you will want to sit at least four rows up. What happens is when whales are spotted, everyone from the inside and back of the boat stands in the front and as a result, they stand in front of those seated in the first couple of rows.