Hula Grill Restaurant Review
We recently had the pleasure of dinner with friends at Hula Grill, in Whaler’s Village, Kaanapali. The Hula Grill is perfect for young and old visitors in west Maui, with multiple indoor and outdoor classic dining areas along with a more casual outdoor toes-in-the-sand dining area with great views of the ocean.
2435 Kaanapali Parkway
Lahaina, HI 96761
(808) 667-6636
This time, however, we sat in the semi-outdoor area away from the sand. It was nice because the sun was getting closer to setting and wasn’t in our eyes.
Hula Grill has just about the best location directly on Kaanapali Beach in front of Whaler’s Village (right next to Leilani’s, an equally good Maui restaurant.)
HULA GRILL DRINKS
I began the meal with the Pele Mango-Rita. My only apprehension before ordering it was the possibility of it being too sweet. Much to my relief, it had the perfect amount of sweetness from the fresh mango puree. It also had jalapeño, though there wasn’t enough spice. Next time I’ll order it extra hot.
They have all kinds of signature Maui drinks on the menu, including Hibiscus Hu’a, a Maui Mule, and Lime In Da Coconut.
HULA GRILL APPETIZERS (Pupus & Raw Bar)
We kind of went nuts on the pupus and ordered a ton. The highlight were the poke tacos with fresh ahi tuna, shoyu, maui onions, chili flakes, avocado and wasabi aioli in a crispy wanton shell. TO DIE FOR! We also got the charred short rib, sashimi ahi, lobster, shrimp and scallop pot stickers and the Hawaiian ceviche. All delicious!
HULA GRILL DINNER
Ok, so we ordered too many appetizers. I shared the Hawaiian Salt and Pepper Ribeye medium with my friend. Why can I not cook a steak this good? It was closer to medium-rare (which is why I usually order it medium), and melted in my mouth. This 28 day dry-aged ribeye comes with housemade worcestershire sauce and truffle roasted fingerling potatoes. SO GOOD! It was the perfect amount of food. I paired it with a local favorite: Big Swell IPA by Maui Brewing Company. Delicious.
HULA GRILL DESSERT
We’ll have to wait till our next visit for Kimo’s Original Hula Pie. We ordered too much food. Next time!
Maui Restaurants
Pilina Restaurant Review
Pilina Maui in the Faimont Kealani expertly crafts unique cocktails using the freshest ingredients available in an ambiance you wont forget.
Ko Maui Brunch Review
We went to the beautiful Fairmont Kea Lani in Wailea to check out the brunch at Kō Restaurant. Enjoy this Ko Maui review of our experience.
Macadangdang Maui Review
Macadangdang Maui Review. We spent a wonderful day on the West Side of Maui that finished at Macadangdang Maui in Kaanapali.
1 Comment
Submit a Comment
I moved to Maui in 2004 and ended up in Kihei a month later. A few months later I met this girl, her name was Akina. I really liked her, and there was something special about her that I couldn’t figure out. Anyways I gathered up the courage to ask her out and I believe our first date was my best day on Maui.
I picked her up in my truck with a handful of orchids then we proceeded to the west side while we had a nice chat. We ended up in Napili swimming and laughing and enjoying a few drinks at the beach. After we went to lunch at Hula Grill in Kaanapali and talked some more, laughed a lot, the weather was perfect. Then we made our way back to the southside stopping at Maalaea Harbor to watch the sunset… Soon after the sun went down we ended up back at my pad where we watched some T.V. and kissed a little on my couch.
Almost 6 years later I remember this day like it was yesterday. I am now married to Akina and we are expecting our first child any day now. Needless to say Maui is a very special place for us and we are considering moving back in the near future. I apologize for the very long message but I am thankful for your post on facebook because it gave me the opportunity to relive this very special day!