The best restaurant on Maui! Recommended by just about everyone who had ever been to Maui and knows good food, there was no leaving without dining at the Lahaina Grill. Nestled in the tiny little town of Lahaina, the restaurant is quaint, charming and quite cozy. It lived up to its praise and was by far our favorite meal on the Island. Although the menu can get a little pricey at the Lahaina Grill (averaging at $100/person with a glass of wine) the food and service were exceptional, and I can’t recommend the place enough.
With 8 of us dining, it was a great chance to try a little bit of everything on the menu ...from their amazing appetizers and dinner specials to their specially prepared desserts, created by executive chef, Arnulfo Gonzalez.
The Service: From the host to the server to the managers who checked in on us, the entire staff was extremely accommodating. Our server was relaxed and attentive, making you feel right at home. He was also extremely knowledgeable about the menu and any specials the chef was preparing for the evening. From start to finish, they couldn't have made us feel more welcome.
The Menu: Creative. Delicious. Beautifully prepared.The menu offers a tempting range of appetizers, soups and salads from Kona Lobster Crab Cake, Steamed Manila Clams and Crispy Shanghai Spring Rolls to Eggplant Napolean and Bufala Tomato Salad. Their Maui Onion soup was INCREDIBLE, the best french Onion soup I've ever had, by a long shot. They also have a wonderful wine list, offering an extremely reasonable range of options from extremely affordable to a bit pricey. Entrees are a diverse mix of land, sea and veggie options with something great for everyone. The Steak Jolene, Kona Coffee Roasted Rack of Lamb and Sauteed Mahi Mahi topped our list of favorites. Check out the dessert corner while you're there, and DO NOT leave without trying the sinfully delicious Lahaina grill sampler, which includes the best creme brulee around.
We loved everything they set down at the table, which seems to be impossible to find in a restaurant these days. Here's a tempting sneak peak of the menu :)
APPETIZERS
CRISPY FRIED BLUE CORN CRUSTED CHILE RELLENOFilled with Hawaiian Big Island prawns, scallops and Monterey jack cheese, served on roasted sweet Kula corn relish with Fuerte avocados and red tomato salsa
RECONSTRUCTED CALIFORNIA ROLL
Dungeness crab salad, avocado, sweet rice and cilantro-ginger vinaigrette
BUFALA TOMATO SALAD
Hana tomatoes, bufala mozzarella, truffle oil, aged balsamic vinaigrette, seasoned with black Kilauea sea salt
ENTREES
KONA COFFEE ROASTED RACK OF LAMB Light coffee-Cabernet demi-glace, herb infused mashed potatoes
STEAK JOLENE A 7 oz. Prime Center Cut Certified Angus beef filet, topped with a potato wrapped prawn, herb infused mashed potatoes, whole grain mustard port wine demi- glace
MAUI ONION SESAME SEED CRUSTED SEARED AHI Vanilla bean Jasmine rice, apple cider-soy butter vinaigrette
DESSERT
LAHAINA GRILL SAMPLER: Sunken chocolate cake, vanilla bean creme brulee, triple berry pie
ROAD TO HANA, MAUI: Layers of Hawaiian vintage chocolate cake, chocolate sour cream mousse, and macadamia nut caramel
This restaurant certainly lived up to the hype and was an overall amazing dining experience. The service was spot on, the atmosphere was wonderful and relaxing, and most importantly, we loved everything the menu had to offer. There's no doubt I'll be back to Maui soon, and no visit will be complete without a trip back to Lahaina Grill.
Great review! I'm a little ashamed to say that I didn't eat here when I was in Maui. I'm so ashamed in fact, that I might have to make a return trip there.
Hey LUNCH (@jrjohnson) ya wanna pick up the tab and I'll write tons of reviews about the limo to LAX, United First Class, my hotel suite.