I'd go 3.5 if I could. I'm not mad at it, just wasn't wow'd at all. I was a solo diner - sat at the bad - which was HUGE - like 4 feet wide for some reason It was a Wednesday. All the tables were full of tourist families - it was good vibes, the tables separated by white sheer curtains giving it a little elegance. But there was really terrible cheesey top 40 radio playing which offset everything and was a little distracting for me tbh I got the Crab cake app - it deep fried with lots of filler. Not amazing. There was a lot of mahi on the menu! Their liquor selection was more limited than I'd think - so I skipped a cocktail. I got the Mac crusted mahi - sadly it was flavorless and the sauce was cold. "Vegetables"were 1 piece of bok choy and 1 carrot Grateful the Brownie dessert was the star of the show. Not sure I'd be back but am glad I went. read more

Cafe O'Lei Kihei - Macnut crusted halibut with vegetables - Seafood Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

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update 2/26: This was to be our special "nite out " dinner. And , it was great. Plan to spend, over A C note and no bar for two. BUT, seafood here is over the top, my wife had a white fish like ONO, but too long a name to spell. Over mashed potatoes and grilled veges Mine was Blackened and seared Ahi over sticky rice and asparagus spears. We both had a nice small Caesar. The sushi bar no longer is here. Completely removed and replaced with about a dozen or more tables for four. Really , if you want a treat at sunset , come here. Great service. read more

It's been over 15 years since we first dined at Cafe O'lei, Kihei, Maui. Since then, we've visited numerous times over the years with the latest being last week. We ordered the same daily luncheon special, Wahoo/Ono, with the same sides, we first started ordering those so many years ago. Since 2011, the price of the daily luncheon has tripled to $22.50 but it was well worth it. Service was nothing special but adequate enough. If you are visiting Maui, this restaurant, while not longer cheap, is still the place to go for lunch. Remember lunch (not recommended for dinner.) Please go and enjoy. read more

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It is always amazing here. This is our go to place when we have a celebration. Its the only place everyone, including the keiki, enjoys the food. read more

Cafe O'Lei Kihei - Seafood Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

One of my favorite restaurants on Maui hands down! Any local will tell you Cafe O Lei is a Maui tradition. This Kihei location is my favorite because they give the best service. This was my 1st time experiencing Happy Hour and it was much needed!! They're best known for their Fish Special and Plate Lunch Special! The Fish Special is usually Ahi or Mahi (best known for it being prepared Panko or Macadamia Nut Crusted) with an addictive Butter Sauce (my favorites over the years are Guava, Lilikoi and Lemon Caper Butter Sauce) and their Plate Lunch Specials are always so delicious. Over the years the specials go up in price and I believe now it could be $12-13 for the Plate Lunch & $18-19 for the Fish Special but still not bad considering it's Fish! Today my friends and I all got Petite Caesar Salads (nothing Petite about it and it was very filling) and their Beef Sliders which was sooo yummy! It came with a Brioche bun, bacon pieces and jam, and Crispy Onion yum yum! We got so full that we didn't touch the Lettuce Wraps much but it's definitely a must! It has Ground Chicken, Chestnut, Shiitake Mushroom and Hoison Sauce. My niece got a Lychee Sprite. It's not on the Menu but it's a refreshing local twist! They have a good selection of Happy Hour drinks too with Local flavors! And to end our Happy Hour Session, a warm Brownie Sundae with Macadamia Nut Ice Cream (it's usually served with Kona Coffee Ice Cream) with drizzles of Caramel and Chocolate and whipped cream and a strawberry. Cafe O Lei is a must stop if you ever visit Maui. It's always on my top 3 of Maui recommendations. read more

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I came here for dinner during our vacation in Maui. It's pretty difficult to find good vegetarian options in Hawaii so I didn't have super high expectations. The inside is nicely decorated very simple, but they do keep it freezing cold. I would recommend bringing an extra layer. I ordered the vegetable flatbread and it was all right. There wasn't anything special about it and the bread part tasted pretty simple. They did get my order wrong the first time, so they brought out a small greens plate with an interesting dressing while I waited. My friend ordered the steak, which he really enjoyed. It was a little overcooked, but still delicious. read more

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Overall, excellent. I really enjoyed my experience, drinks were always refilled, food was great and brought quick, everything was amazing. Great service and kind workers, I couldn't praise this restaurant enough. A must visit if you're in Maui. read more

We love going to Cafe O'Lei in Kihei. We have gotten to know the staff and although we have our favorites, we love everyone there. I also love seeing Phil Sabado's artwork on display. The food is consistently delicious. And yes! We will return. read more

Our food and service was amazing. We ordered the lettuce wraps, a cocktail, prime rib, and the special which was panko breaded mahi, whipped potatoes, and tempura fried shrimp. Our food was cooked perfectly and it came out in a timely manner. We will definitely be back. read more

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Great place for dinner. They were open for Thanksgiving and had a Thanksgiving Menu available. My favorite is their Macadamia Crusted Mahi Mahi. It's moist and always tasty! Service was friendly and helpful. Lots of different indoor seating spaces available. Relaxing and lively place to dine with family, kids and celebrate special occasions. Recommend and must try when in Kihei! read more

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The service was phenomenal, and the waiter who helped us was great. We made reservations for 8 PM which is the last seating and they closed the doors at this time as well. There was no rush once we got in and our party enjoyed all of the pizzas we ordered , Maui onion soup (that's a must it was delicious) and also my prime rib, which was amazing. Would recommend this to anyone in the area for a nice dinner. read more

Let me just start by saying the view from the outside dining area is absolutely amazing and unreal. If you're okay with the humidity I definitely suggest sitting outside. I unfortunately am rating this place 4 stars instead of 5 because of the service that day. There was a wedding happening on the other side of the restaurant so I'm not sure if that had anything to do with it but our initial server only checked on us twice in an hour and then just disappeared the rest of the evening so I had to ask a different server for help. Other than that the drinks and food were amazing. We ordered chicken lettuce wraps which were tangy and sweet as an appetizer and then we shared the macadamia crusted mahi mahi which we quickly regretted sharing because it was so good we should have ordered two! The fish was cooked to perfection with a beautiful crust. Would definitely recommend this place to anyone visiting Maui. read more

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Amazing food, service and atmosphere. The staff were extremely attentive and the food was amazing!! The setting inside was very nice with a huge round bar centered in the middle of the restaurant. Very warm feelings the entire meal! Prime rib was to die for! Thank you!! read more

Honestly, I wanted this place to be great but it was decidedly sub par. I adore their Plantation location, this one not so much. Walked in before 5:00pm with no reservation for a party of four. Well, that was a mistake. Despite idle wait staff and maybe only five occupied tables out of 20-30 total they made us wait for about a half hour. The reason was other people made reservations and were expected. When they finally sat our party the restaurant was still 2/3 empty. There was really no reason to keep us waiting that i could see. When you see someone in the party is disabled and using assistive devices you should be more accommodating. It kind of felt like we were being punished for not having a reservation. Also, expect a 3% service charge for the back of the house. Really, for the prices they charge for mahi fragments you could pay those people without a surcharge. Portions here are tiny. My mahi fragments were dry, over spiced and served with two unseasoned baby bok choi leaves and a slice of grilled tomato. For the price of almost $40.00. The beer was good and so was our server so they got one star for that. Otherwise, this place is touristy, overpriced and the maitre d' is slow on the uptake. Overall, there are plenty of great restaurants on Maui, recommend you try one of those. read more

We had an 11:00 a.m. reservation on a Friday, and the restaurant wasn't busy. The onion soup was good--I can see why it's popular. Unfortunately, the papaya salad was disappointing. The mixed greens were not fresh, with black spots. I asked for a replacement, but it came back wilted, definitely not worth paying $21. read more

Cafe O'Lei Kihei - Spoiled mixed greens - Seafood Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

This place hands down has the best lunch on Maui. Get the lunch fish special. At the time of this review it's about $22 for a healthy portion of local caught fish. We had the cilantro lime ono and it was AMAZING. This is my favorite restaurant on the island. read more

The mixed reviews had me worried but I'm so glad I tried this restaurant. Ultimately I think it depends on what you order, but most things seemed pretty good based on what I tried and what I saw. Our food was good, taste and portion wise. Prices were very reasonable (for Maui). Service was very pleasant. We got a couple maui onion French onion soups to share. Probably one of the best I've ever had. I'm inspired to try to make this at home this winter. I got the mac nut crusted mahi mahi. It wasn't the best I've ever had but pretty good. Very fresh, but felt like it needed some salt. My sister's opa? fish was similarly good. My Mom got the grilled lobster and mushroom risotto. Both my Mom and I agreed the risotto was to die for. So rich and flavorful. The lobster seemed superfluous in a way. The lobster also had a bit of a burnt taste and was a little tough. If I ever come back to Maui, this will definitely be in my rotation. read more

We came mostly for drinks in the happy hour and we were not disappointed. Our bartender was quick and attentive, despite having many patrons. The ambience was that of an upscale bar where we were sitting at the bar. We really enjoyed the happy hour drinks! The lilikoi mojito combines a classic drink with a piece of Maui. It was sweet but we enjoyed the first one. The onion soup with caramelized onions and was a delicious start to our meal. It is similar to a French onion soup with the puff pastry on top. We did not stay for dinner this time but we hope to come back in the future. I definitely recommend stopping by for happy hour. read more

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My husband and I stopped into Café O'Lei in Kihei for a quick dinner, and it was just as good as we remembered. I ordered the steak, he went with the fish special, and both dishes were delicious. The restaurant wasn't very crowded, which made the service feel extra attentive and relaxed. The ambience there is always warm and inviting, just an easy, enjoyable place to have dinner. Highly recommend if you're looking for a nice dinner and cocktails. read more

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The onion soup is just incredible. They use the drippings from their prime rib for flavor and then it has this wonderful crust on top. We usually sit at the bar, and Alex is the bartender and the waiter there. His wine recommendations are always spot on. Sometimes we have the onion soup and the prime rib, some nights we only have the onion soup and then the crème brûlée for dessert. We're major foodies and it's always a wonderful tasting experience. read more

We used to go to Cafe O'Lei in Lahaina all the time for the food and the view, so we were unsure about the Kihei loaction in a stripmall with no view. We went for Happy Hour and we very impressed with the food quality and the prices. The bartender was very friendly and we enoyed chatting with her. We will come next time after we watch sunset for a delish meal. :) read more

Best restaurant we visited on Maui! We like it even better than Monkey Pod (which we love). Their unique fried calamari was the best we'd ever had, as was the Maui Onion French Onion Soup. The braised Asian short ribs, the blackened Mahi-Mahi, the macadamia encrusted Mahi-Mahi were delicious. There were a variety of desserts and we enjoyed them as well. REALLY recommend this restaurant. Our bartender/waiter, Alex, was the best. read more

Solid dinner option in the Kihei/ Wailea area. Recommended by our hotel, love that this is a locally owed restaurant in a sea of corporate eateries in the area. Started with the brussle sprouts and the coconut shrimp; both were great, nothing to complain about. I had the lychee lover.. amazing! Love all of the lychee flavor, best drink I had on my trip. The mac but crusted mahi mahi was amazing as well. Nice portion size for the price, the fish had amazing flavor and was fresh. read more

The macadamia crusted fish and pork were excellent as was the service. The view and restaurant layout were cool.

We've been here many times and had good experiences. On our last visit, we had reservations with friends. We were seated immediately and Kayla served us. She was very nice and answered our questions. I ordered one of the specials, Herb Crusted Opakapaka. I know this to be a delicious local fish. Our entrees arrived soon. My plate had garlic mashed potatoes, with sautéed greens (I think bok choy) and 2 pieces of breaded fish. A good amount of cilantro lemon butter sauce surrounded the stack. The opakapaka was delicious. The breading was crisp and the fish was tender and juicy. Cooked just right. The sauce was the perfect addition. I would order that again. My wife would have appreciated a cup of the cilantro lemon butter sauce on her slightly overcooked, dry Macnut Mahi Mahi. I was surprised to see a 3% "Kitchen Appreciation Fee" on my check, although I now see a notice in the fine print on the menu to expect it. The check also showed the suggested tip amounts for 20, 22 and 25%, which I appreciate. BUT, the final receipt, after paying 22% and the "kitchen appreciation fee", it had another "Suggested Additional Tip" of 2, 3, 5 or 7%. I'm kinda glad I made it out with my shirt. read more

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Great food and service. A very attentive staff with reasonable prices. I would definitely come back.

Went here based on a recommendation and it was fabulous. A little tough to find at night but it's upstairs above Auntie Snorkel. The onion soup was awesome and the drinks were strong. We took their last seating and stayed late enjoying our drinks while they cleaned up and never felt rushed at all. read more

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The food and service was good. A little pricy, but good. However, I would not recommend any restaurant or any other venue that is engage in deceptive fee practices. Really, a 3 or 5 percent kitchen appreciation fee? Pay them more if you want them to feel appreciated! I am fairly sure the restaurant does not give a single penny of the fee to the unappreciated kitchen staff - unless it it goes to the family members working in the kitchen. Whats next.. Maui Resort fee tax, mandatory 25% tipping, and parking privilege fees?. Again, I would not recommend a company that engaged in this deceptive practice even if is in fine print. read more

Food excellent a large variety something for every person. we were a group of 18 and had the best time with our servers communicating and serving hot food together. Seating was very comfortable which allowed us to enjoy our meal together in such a peaceful and pleasant environment. read more

We found café O'Lei by accident and so glad we did. I wish I had snapped a picture of our lunch, but only planned for a quick bite to eat. We had no idea it was going to be as delicious as it was. My husband had a hamburger which he said was fantastic. I had the tempura mahi-mahi fish & chips, which I have been dreaming of ever since I tried it. I plan to go back one more time before I depart because it's just that good!!! Yum. We were served by Kat in the bar area and she is just fabulous. What a sweetheart with a beautiful personality and fantastic quick service. We enjoyed our meal, had drinks and refills quickly and enjoyed chatting about Maui with her as well. Looking forward to another drop by for mahi-mahi tempura. Yum. read more

This restaurant came highly recommended by a flight attendant on our inbound flight to OGG. We decided to pay them a visit and see for ourselves. It's a pretty nice restaurant, upstairs in a small strip mall, right across the street from the beach, so there are some tables with a view. I think the dining room has a bit of an identity crisis, in that there are nice tables in a dimly lit setting, servers are wearing black and white with ties where appropriate, and are very attentive, but there are no table cloths or linen napkins. I'm just not sure how to classify the place. On to the food. The item that was most highly spoken of by the flight attendant was the Maui onion soup; and it did not disappoint! It was a very creative take on traditional French onion soup. First, it's made with sweet Maui onions, then the Gruyère cheese is added before topping the crock with puff pastry. This dish was phenomenal, delectable, over the top delicious! Everything else paled in comparison. My wife ordered the macadamia roasted pork which was served with some very tasty garlic mashed potatoes, bok choy, and half of a roasted tomato. The pork and potatoes were very good. I ordered the Kalua Pork Maui Gold Flatbread. The crust was very dry, hard, and crumbly. While the pineapple was tasty, the pork was a little lacking and the fact that there was no cheese made it less desirable for me. I couldn't eat much of it. But the presentation was nice and it was prepared as described on the menu. Our server recommended the caramelized, house made, pineapple upside down cake that is served with macadamia nut ice cream. The cake was quite dry and crumbly, the caramelized pineapple was great and the ice cream was very good. Overall, the soup was easily rated 5 stars, the Macadamia Roasted Pork was worthy of 4 stars, I'd rate that flatbread at 2 stars, and the dessert at 3 stars. This brings the final rating in between 3 and 4 stars. Because my expectations were so high, I'm going to have to go with 3 stars. I will, however, definitely return for the Maui Onion Soup! read more

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Every year it just goes down hill, the menu gets smaller- the portions smaller- the price higher. The NY steak was nothing to write home about, the shrimp linguini- came with garlic bread- that you couldn't bite into, the pasta and cream sauce was not edible. We have been coming to this location for years- when they used to have the oyster bar- and the sushi bar. Now it's nothing to write home about. read more

This is for the restaurant in Kihei. My previous review last year was for their other location at the Plantation. --- We had tried their other restaurant location last year, so we thought we'd see what this one was like and much closer to where we were staying. This is on the second floor of a business complex. There is an elevator if you don't feel like climbing the steps. The restaurant is lovely, with curtains hanging from the ceiling to create privacy in this large room. We were taken to our seats immediately. I ordered what I did last year, the Mac nut Chicken Sandwich - the chicken with basil aioli, tomato, maui greens on house focaccia with a small salad. The presentation was beautiful. However, the aioli was more of a decoration - not enough on the sandwich. The focaccia was delicious, but the chicken, instead of being a piece of chicken was pieces. It was difficult to eat this sandwich as the pieces kept sliding off the bread. But the salad was what I had my main issues with. I've eaten caesar salad in the past, but this one was awful. The fish taste was so strong I couldn't eat it. Neither could my partner. The menu does not indicate caesar salad. If it had I would have asked for another dressing. There are so many wonderful restaurants in Kihei to waste our money here. We won't be back. read more

Cafe O'Lei Kihei - Cafe O'Lei on Kihei Road - Seafood Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

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We ate here on a previous trip and had a good experience. Tonight was also good. We arrived at 7:15PM (closes at 8) and were quickly seated. We ordered a drink and a local beer and both were as expected. We split the shrimp papaya salad and it was tasty but only had about 2 shrimp. The papaya was not peeled so we had to do some surgery but it tasted good and was enough for 2. The 2 Mahi Mahi dishes were excellent and priced about the same as in Seattle at $39.95 but just across the street at a less formal restaurant, the same can be had for $22 without the very flavorful sauce. After we finished, our server brought the check without asking if we wanted desert. The caramelized pineapple upside down cake with ice cream was enough for two at $12.95. After that we got forgotten for about 10 minutes waiting for the check. The restaurant charges 3% tip for the back of the house staff and then recommends tips of 20, 22, and 25. Service was worth 18% so less the mandatory tip, we left 15%. This is a pleasant restaurant but not a great one. If you have mobility issues, it is on the second floor up a long flight of outdoor steps. read more

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Sooooo you're looking for somewhere to eat that is great but won't kill the wallet. This is that place. It is a little isolated on the second floor, but once you walk inside you can tell they spent a lot of time to make it feel inviting and relaxing. There is no view here. Be warned to be careful on the stairs if you have kids or elderly with you as my sister fell coming up. I believe they do have an elevator in the complex but I didn't use it. Everything was very tasty but I personally got the pork loin, which even my parents who got the mahi mahi proffered. The fish is still great but my pork loin was to die for. I don't typically give five stars but I did for this place considering I have eaten pork at other more expensive restaurants in Maui and have gotten food poisoning. Maybe I should've learned my lesson by now and have stopped eating pork....but I love pork. So me not getting sick after eating here is why it's 5 stars for me. Also very welcoming service!!! read more

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The food was AMAZING! We ordered the Kalua Pork flatbread and the Macadamia Nut chicken and both were extremely tasty and something that we can't get at home. My one complaint would be service. I was never offered a refill on my water. The one time our waiter refilled my water, I requested it, and she just never really came around to check on us. Thankfully my husband had ordered a soft drink, so he had his soft drink plus his water, so I ended up taking his for my next refill. I was hopeful that when our waitress brought us our check and saw my empty glass, that she would offer me a refill but I was extremely disappointed when she did not. The ambiance was typical dinner busy for a Sunday night, but it was a nice family crowd. Most people were drinking socially, and it was overall a nice dinner time. read more

Cafe O'Lei Kihei - Macadamia Nut Crusted chicken - Seafood Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

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Cafe O'Lei is located upstairs, just off South Kihei Road. You can park on either side of the building. The parking lot is shared with other businesses in the area. If no parking is available, you'd want to take a left out of the parking lot and into the bigger parking lot next door. We made reservations for an early Sunday dinner. Our table was ready and our server was attentive in getting our appetizers, drinks and entrees ordered. We really enjoyed the Maui onion soup en croute. The soup is pretty with the puff pastry. This was our favorite bite. We even ordered more soup after our initial order. Ordered the ahi nachos and crab cakes. The ahi had a strong taste, maybe more wasabi aioli than necessary. The crab cakes were good but I probably wouldn't order that again. The roast prime rib of beef was our favorite entree. You can't go wrong with a good prime rib. And it was huge. Took most of it home for leftovers. The surf and turf special of steak with chimichurri sauce was good. The turf side of the dish was a few sauteed shrimp. More turf than surf. The grilled lobster risotto was tasty and it was a good sized lobster. We finished our meal with a couple Kona Coffee Mud pies to share. They have a good selection of desserts- creme brulee, cheesecake, brownie sundae, pineapple upside down case, fried cheesecake and locally made ice cream. Staff was very attentive from start to finish. Prices are reasonable. There is a separate room at the back of the restaurant for large groups. They accept phone orders and online ordering is available. read more

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This place was awesome it's in a strip mall and when you go inside you would not know it was. The drinks and food are so good. The staff is super friendly and nice. The place is so relaxing and laid back. So glad we went here for our 28th wedding anniversary. We will definitely be back. I highly recommend this place if you are in town. read more

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4 stars pricing. Not bad island pricing. 3.5-4 stars food. Onion soup is 5 stars. Service 3.5 to 4. Brought someone else's food to us twice. People next to us left before they got drinks due to Slow service, but we didn't experience the same issue. Speed was average to above average for us. Overall, I'd recommend. read more

Exceptional meal--truly the best on the island. The Maui onion soup was phenomenal; even our 8- and 6-year-olds loved it. The macadamia nut-crusted mahi mahi over rice with bok choy and lemon caper sauce was out of this world. I've been searching for something comparable since Mama's Fish House, and this absolutely rivaled it. The kids devoured the shrimp linguine, my husband had the eggplant parm tower with garlic cream sauce (subbed for marinara), and it was beautiful in every sense of the word. The calamari was also outstanding--the wasabi cream sauce packed a punch but was still excellent. The service was warm, friendly, and excellent, and the J Pinot Gris topped it all off. Can't wait to return. After one week in Maui, I finally caught an exceptional meal! read more