Hawaiian Restaurants near Kula, HI

“Do yourself a favor and take the scenic drive UpCountry to the Kula Bistro. They have the best lunch by far we've had on Maui! Our server Benny was fantastic and really sincerely cared about taking care of us. My husband walked across the street and bought a bottle of wine. The restaurant encourages this and they do not charge a corkage fee (they even supplied an ice bucket for our white wine without being asked!) We started with their delicious freshly baked bread basket - (5 pieces of homemade bread with yummy garlic butter). We then split the grilled mahi mahi sandwich on homemade foccia with fries. It was absolutely mouth-watering and plenty for the two of us. (Benny said the portions were large and he was correct!) They have a beautiful mouth-watering display case of tempting cheesecake selections but we were too full. Next time! Benny told us about the history from when the building housed a meat locker (the walk-in freezers are still there and used for their dining supplies) After that it was Cafe 808 and now the Kula Bistro.
They had the cattle ranchers in the area all come in and burn their unique brands on the wooden wall. I think 45 of them. How cool! The food was fantastic and the staff the best you'll find on the island!“

“Overindulged! The joyful experience of our 36th anniversary dinner will be one that we’ll be chasing over and over again! We were overindulged from the moment we sat down at the table with the most beautiful view, surrounded by soothing live music. The care and concern from each and every staff member was evident, making sure that the best possible bottle of wine for our meal was chosen, that our water glass was never too empty, that each plate delivered was well executed and well presented and explained, when done each time dishes were taken away quickly, the pacing of the meal was well done, just everything and everything! Perfection! And a special note to Sasha- we already noted during our meal service- the finesse and skill you brought to the level of service was just outstanding! Kudos to you and to the team that supports you in making sure that each of your tables gets the attention that they deserve! To say that our anniversary dinner was memorable is truly an understatement! It will be that feeling of being so well taken care of and that every orchestrated element enhanced our celebration will be what brings us back over and over again. We already are making plans to come back and I know we will be coming back over and over again! With our deepest appreciation! …and then the food! Truly the best farm to table experience on Maui! From the amuse buche course(s!) that wet our appetite for more goodies to come. The locally sourced ingredients shined with their freshness and the finesse in which they were presented. Two highlights were the Maui onion soup presented with the perfect amount of cheese and puffed pastry topping- just perfectly seasoned. And then the Haleakala filet mignon, once again perfectly cooked and perfectly seasoned and topped with compound butter that was melted at table side with rosemary. (It feels like we are saying perfect too much! But we do mean it!) Then to end the evening celebration with our chocolate lava cake surrounded by white and milk chocolate fondue with banana bread and fresh fruits was simply scrumptious! Chef Junior Ulep, Mahalo for our special night, with our deepest grateful hearts, we appreciate your mana and the joyfulness in which you have chosen to feed us and our fellow patrons at Kula Lodge Restaurant!“

“Overindulged! The joyful experience of our 36th anniversary dinner will be one that we’ll be chasing over and over again! We were overindulged from the moment we sat down at the table with the most beautiful view, surrounded by soothing live music. The care and concern from each and every staff member was evident, making sure that the best possible bottle of wine for our meal was chosen, that our water glass was never too empty, that each plate delivered was well executed and well presented and explained, when done each time dishes were taken away quickly, the pacing of the meal was well done, just everything and everything! Perfection! And a special note to Sasha- we already noted during our meal service- the finesse and skill you brought to the level of service was just outstanding! Kudos to you and to the team that supports you in making sure that each of your tables gets the attention that they deserve! To say that our anniversary dinner was memorable is truly an understatement! It will be that feeling of being so well taken care of and that every orchestrated element enhanced our celebration will be what brings us back over and over again. We already are making plans to come back and I know we will be coming back over and over again! With our deepest appreciation! …and then the food! Truly the best farm to table experience on Maui! From the amuse buche course(s!) that wet our appetite for more goodies to come. The locally sourced ingredients shined with their freshness and the finesse in which they were presented. Two highlights were the Maui onion soup presented with the perfect amount of cheese and puffed pastry topping- just perfectly seasoned. And then the Haleakala filet mignon, once again perfectly cooked and perfectly seasoned and topped with compound butter that was melted at table side with rosemary. (It feels like we are saying perfect too much! But we do mean it!) Then to end the evening celebration with our chocolate lava cake surrounded by white and milk chocolate fondue with banana bread and fresh fruits was simply scrumptious! Chef Junior Ulep, Mahalo for our special night, with our deepest grateful hearts, we appreciate your mana and the joyfulness in which you have chosen to feed us and our fellow patrons at Kula Lodge Restaurant!“

“Great place. The bartender Sara was on point. Definitely recommend.“

“Great food, fantastic atmosphere, fabulous staff“

“Perfect and just right for a sunny afternoon by the pool!!! Love the fresh fruit on top! 💯“

“You will not be disappointed. Hands down the BEST comfort Local Food. Reasonable Prices. Great portion sizes. Locally Owned and Operated. 10 STARZ 🌟“

“Mahalo! Nice to meet you. It was amazing!“

“Great food, you get big portions! Pricey for a strip mail little restaurant for the BBQ ribs but they were delicious! Family enjoyed everything we got and finished it up quick. Would recommend the short ribs as you get like 8 large pieces!!“

“Dinner at Ko last night was exceptional! We were delighted to be served by our favorite server, and every detail was impeccable...from the beautifully prepared food to the attentive service and refined atmosphere. A consistently outstanding dining experience! Thanks Ko, our Hostess, Therese and our amazing server, Leanne❤️“

“Plantation Plate is my go-to when I’m craving comfort food! My day starts to get lifted the moment I place my order, and I always feel like I won the food lottery when my name is called. Shout out to the PP folks who have always been welcoming and professional 🤙🏽

My fave are the Laulau, Loco Moco and the beef stew. And there’s live music on Thursday 🎉“

“Great plate lunch crispy salads everything I have been there. Disappointed in the burgers and eggs on the loco moco. different crew on different days.“

“This was the best experience I've had in a restaurant in a long time! The food was amazing and the staff was polite, attentive, and awesome! We met the owner and she was the nicest person ever! 12 out of 10 recommend! The atmosphere, food and all around vibe was great!!!“

“My family of 6 loved the food. We had the mochicko chicken, garlic noodles, garlic shrimp and spicy chicken sandwich. Big portions. It’ll be lunch for me tomorrow. I would definitely go back again. The staff were polite and sounded like they were having a great time in the kitchen.“

“Great food, friendly staff and awesome atmosphere! Dane, our server, was helpful at explaining the menu and offering advice. It is pricey but worth it when you’re on an island vacation! Book it!“

“First food on the island. The Wicked Ahi Katsu was good. I would recommend the Poke Plates though. Atmosphere was great with shade and chickens roaming. Ono Tacos was good as well. The steak tacos were alright but the chicken was much better. All around, good experience and would recommend for those looking for something close to the airport area.“

“Our server, Isaiah, was most helpful with the menu choices. We had the roasted beet salad and the Steak and Frites. We asked for the steak to be cooked medium plus, but it came out less than medium and had to be sent back to be cooked further. Other than that, it was a delicious meal in a great location.“

“I cried good tears this morning. I've never in my life cried because of how divine the food was. I ordered the crab cakes benedict, usually when I order crab cakes it's a hash brown with little bits of crab meat but this one is purely crab and it was so fresh like it was caught in the early hours before restaurant opened. Eggs were cooked to perfection and the hollandaise sauce was heavenly. It was love on a plate, my compliments to the chef! Service was absolutely wonderful, lovely and welcoming ladies. They were very attentive and efficient. Mahalo nui loa! 🌺“

“Service was fantastic. Very quick and attentive service. Highly recommended“

“Staff is great, never had a bad experience. Food is really good, mahalo to the cooks, it's a what you pay for situation and it's a lot better than what would be considered acceptable and the price is right. There's indoor and outdoor seating and it's in beautiful kihei so no complaints. Keep in mind, not all L & L's are created equal and we have the best food of all the ones on the island here in kihei.“

“Overall we enjoy our experience - the risotto was delicious and so were our scallops. The broccolini as a side dish was really outstanding as a highlight of our meal. Dining outside with the view of the ocean is a real treat and the staff were friendly and helpful. This is a pricey dining experience but worth it for special occasions“

“Absolutely incredible dinner. Best mai tai we had and the tempura pink snapper WOW- life changing! Please make it a regular on the menu!!!“

“Stumbled in for lunch after intending to visit another restaurant nearby that was moving very slowly. Everything was amazing! Food, quality, service, fair pricing. We were greeted with a warm smile and explored some local dishes. The sweet and spicy katsu was great but the Mac salad was out of this world 😍 mahalo!!“

“Wanted a nice meal at their restaurant & they put us in a tight table. I asked the hostess to please move us as there was a huge plant crowding Jon & almost getting into his face. The hostess retorted sarcastically, "we can move the plant.". How's that for keeping a patron happy 🤣 Tommy Bahama“

“Great food amazing service“

“Food so delicious everyone friendly ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️👍👍👍👍👍👍“

“The entire team at the chef‘s table was wonderful. From the selections of the wine to the discussions with all of the chefs, made it a very fun time. The food was great, and the interactions was over the top great. Would highly recommend this to anyone visiting Maui. A wonderful experience.“

“Wanted to give a special Thanks to Humble Humble Market Kitchin by Roy Yamaguchi entire staff expecially Pilli for making this dinner and night special. You all are the best only matched by the taste of the food. That Halo Halo was off the chain!!“

“The seasoning on the fish n chips was delicious! Service is fast and staff is great! I had cod fish n chips and my husband had Ono grilled fish tacos with sliced cabbage and sauce was amazing“

“We went to a local place for lunch that had great reviews and were very disappointed. Came across this amazing food truck and randomly ordered a few things……ended up coming back not even an hour later to order more. Great portions, food was so good! Made to order and so yummy! The wasabi cream sauce is 🤤🤤🤤 Give this truck a try! Best meal on Maui after a week of trying different local spots!“

“Overall good meal, very sweet and friendly staff. I wanted to try a couple things so got the combo plate, the ahi was on the extra cooked side but still had good flavor, the shrimp on the other hand was 🔥.
If I went back again and didn’t try another option I would go for just the shrimp plate, they were delicious.“

“First time in Maui and found this gem! Delicious mochi! The white chocolate dipping sauce with the poi Mochi was delicious and the lychee with the pog sauce was wonderful!“

“This has become our favorite place to eat in Maui. We eat here every trip but this time we came back 3 times!! Two favorites, coconut shrimp with sweet potato fries AND the mahi mahi (I now prefer this over Paia Fish Market’s) it was so tender and the sauce served with it is out of this world!! I actually got and extra sauce when we left to eat with our steak the next day. It was that good!! The owner is the sweetest and her gift of creating delicious food is next level. Cannot wait to come back!“

“We got iced coffee, tropical shaved ice, poke, nachos, and the banana bread dessert (heavenly). Dessert was to die for. Everything was delicious.“

“When we first visited this place over 10 years ago, I thought, oh great cafeteria food. Boy was I wrong. This place is very funky with highly polished surf boards as tables. The food is great. Needless to say we've been coming back year after year and bringing friends and family every time.“

“Don’t think, just book! We just had a fantastic evening at the Te Au Moana Luau - it was honestly a 20/10 experience. I would give it 10 stars if I could! I agonized over which luau to pick and ultimately landed on this one. We chose premium seating which I would do again, we were seated very close to the stage. The food was served family style and was excellent. (My one request for them is that they add keiki options for the kids). They even accommodated my dairy allergy. An open bar with jolly bartenders was wonderful. The beautiful fresh lei upon arrival was a nice surprise. The activities for all before the show were fun - traditional tattoos (temporary, of course), stamps, and flowers pinned into our hair. We loved the local artisans who were set up throughout the duration of the event selling art and jewelry. The grounds were immaculate and the staff was attentive. The dancers, musicians, and emcee were spirited and very talented! We WILL return during our next trip to Maui!“

“Everything we've eaten here has been delicious! Such creative food combinations - beautifully presented. Everything on the menu sounds tempting. We were delighted with the salad cones and crepes and look forward to coming back to try more of the menu. Try it - you won't be disappointed.“

“Amazing service, food, drinks and sunset views. Kai Bar is a hidden gem in Wailea located at the AC hotel. We came back on a second night because we had such an amazing experience and sunset views. I highly recommend the Chicken Katsu sandwich and the Kai sliders. The servers did such a wonderful job both nights.“

“This burger is a spiritual experience. I am addicted to the bacon cheddar cheeseburger. Add the hot peppers (they aren’t too hot, more like a delicious slightly spicy pickle). The owner is really sweet and the food is both delicious and great price with a pretty wide menu. But trust me and please try the burger it’s honestly ridiculous it’s so good. A good selection of alcohol also.“

“This is how you start your Maui trip. The mochiko chicken was amazing, but what really stole the show was the eggplant omelet. I never would’ve thought of that combination, but it was beautifully done—perfectly seasoned and truly a match made in heaven. It paired surprisingly well with the mac salad too. Highly recommend stopping here early in your trip!“

“Amazing food! There is almost always a line but totally worth the wait.“

“This place is legit. Just discovered it and tried it when the taco place next door was closed for the day. I've now been back twice in a week and it has instantly become a "go to" place for me.“

“We stopped by recently while visiting the island and I am forever obsessed! The Hawaiian muffin and bread was amazing! I also love the bacon, egg and cheese stuffed roll! I definitely should have bought more goodies to bring back to Texas!“

“We’re so glad to see Cupies made it through the covid times. Great food, variety of prices. Good service. One of our favorite places on Maui.“

“We ordered two breakfast sandwiches, one Spam, egg, and cheese, and the other Portuguese saugage(linguica), egg, and cheese. They both had great flavor, and were a decent portion, for a good price! The two sandwiches cost us less than one cost at a different breakfast spot we went to previously. The restaurant itself isn't very updated, but don't let that fool you!“

“Tried Aloha Thai Fusion, and their Pad See Ew was hands down the best I had on the island even better than Thai Me Up. Great flavor, texture, and perfectly cooked noodles.

As for the Drunken Noodles, I’d still give the edge to Thai Me Up they do those a bit better in my opinion. But if Pad See Ew is your go-to, this is the spot.

Definitely coming back here on my next trip to try more of their menu. This is a must try if you're in Maui“

“Overall we had a great experience. We booked the feast primarily to enjoy the show, and the show was exceptional! As for the food, we appreciated that we got to try a variety of different foods. Not every item was a hit for us, but we really enjoyed the grilled pineapple and the roasted pig. We enjoyed the more intimate crowd compared to larger shows and the bar made great cocktails.“

“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Excelllent atmosphere, food & service.“

“outside patio has wonderful views and the food was 🤯“

“We attended on a Friday evening in October and had an excellent experience. It’s definitely a splurge, but worth it.

Arrival: You can check-in near the front desk of the hotel or down by the actual show. Our table was pre-assigned, so there was no need to line up before the doors opened at 5:15 for the 6PM show. Upon arrival, they gave us each a nut lei and a mai tai. Ahead of showtime, there was a local vendors market, free lawn games, and a professional photographer - latter was $50.

Seating: We opted for the premium seating, which is more expensive, but worth it from our perspective. You’re closer to the stage (first two rows). The tables were also pre-assigned, so we didn’t have to arrive early to line up.

Food: There are four courses: chip/dip, salad/bread, entree, and dessert. There’s also an open bar with a wide assortment of cocktails and non-alcoholic options. The food was decent quality - a bit bland in some cases, which isn’t unexpected in these types of situations when you have to appeal to a broad demographic, particularly those less inclined toward any kick of spice or anything too deviant from the norm. The quantity was massive - there was far more than we could eat and we ended up leaving at least half of what was delivered to the table. The waiter was very accommodating of a food allergy, which was appreciated.

Entertainment: The show was good - there were about 8 or so acts spanning nearly 2 hours. The fire thrower at the end was most impressive.

Cost: It’s pricey - nearly $900 total for 2 premium seats. But everything in Hawaii is expensive and this is the Waldorf Astoria, so as to be expected.

Atmosphere: the show was in the large green lawn next to the beach. The show starts right around sunset, which allows for excellent pictures. The sun is to your back while watching the show, so no glare.“