Kapena’s Wood Fired Kitchen

**Unfortunately, Kapena’s Kitchen has closed permanently and will be sorely missed. For more great food in West Maui check out Mauka Makai, Hula Grill, and Monkeypod Kitchen.

Hospitality, great food, and good times are the foundation of Kapena’s Wood Fired Kitchen. The chic new pizza joint on Front Street in Lahaina is a product of Trilogy Excursions. The Trilogy ohana has provided Maui visitors with delicious food and memorable experiences aboard their sailing excursions for over 50 years. Now, Trilogy is bringing their hospitality expertise and family recipes to dry land at Kapena’s Wood Fired Kitchen.

505 Front St. Unit 101
Lahaina, HI 96761
Kapena’s Kitchen

We went for the “Veggie Bianca” with white sauce, artichoke, kalamata olives, arugula, zucchini, and sun-dried tomato. It was divine, to say the least. I also indulged my guilty pleasure for spam with the “Local Kine,” which is topped with spam, bacon, pineapple, red onion, and jalapenos. It was clear that Kapena’s uses the good stuff in their pizzas. The red sauce is made with San Marzano tomatoes and the dough from Caputo flour— both imported from Italy. Plus, the pizzas were cooked in one of Maui’s few kiawe wood-fired ovens.

Other menu offerings included focaccia, bruschetta, salads, and pasta. We stuck to pizza on our visit, but if the other dishes taste as good as they look, well, they probably taste pretty dang good.

We went for the “Veggie Bianca” with white sauce, artichoke, kalamata olives, arugula, zucchini, and sun-dried tomato. It was divine, to say the least. I also indulged my guilty pleasure for spam with the “Local Kine,” which is topped with spam, bacon, pineapple, red onion, and jalapenos. It was clear that Kapena’s uses the good stuff in their pizzas. The red sauce is made with San Marzano tomatoes and the dough from Caputo flour— both imported from Italy. Plus, the pizzas were cooked in one of Maui’s few kiawe wood-fired ovens.

Other menu offerings included focaccia, bruschetta, salads, and pasta. We stuck to pizza on our visit, but if the other dishes taste as good as they look, well, they probably taste pretty dang good.

While the service and food at Kapena’s were tops, what really sticks out about this place is its backstory. Kapena’s opened in honor of Captain Eldon Coon, who founded Trilogy Excursions in 1973. Captain Eldon was known far and wide for his unwavering hospitality, love for Maui, and delicious recipes— often cooked over a kiawe wood fire and shared with guests aboard his tours. Every aspect of Kapena’s, which translates to ‘captain’ in Hawaiian, embodies Eldon Coon’s warmth and generosity.

Kapena’s is open for dinner service from 4 pm to 8 pm, Tuesday through Saturday.

Kapena’s Menu