Aloha everyone, You can STILL redeem your Yelp Elite Perk…read morefrom the Pastele House. Their hours were limited in the month of September when we originally got the Elite Perk because they welcomed another bundle of joy to their 'ohana I went today on my lunch break and as usual they did not disappoint. Their gandule rice is so 'ono I want to order a whole tray next week for Thanksgiving lol. I chose their spicy pastele because I've had it before and it is just right. Puerto Rican is one nationality I actually don't have lol but I've had some 'ono Puerto Rican food growing up here in Hawaii. Their Puerto Rican food is mouthwatering and so flavorsome you will not be disappointed. I haven't tried everything on their menu but I am a huge fan of their pastele lumpia too. Pastele and lumpia combined? We were skeptical at first a while back when they were giving out samples. After trying it, we were HOOKED and you will be too. Mahalo to Cristina and her husband at Pastele House for this wonderful Yelp Elite Perk. You folks are so sweet and full of the aloha. A big mahalo also to Maria our wonderful Yelp Maui Mama. It sure is sweet to be Elite :)

Ono! I buy 6 for $20 awesome deal and it's always yummy, I eat it all in 2 days and I should buy…read moremore! I don't share it

So different and so delicious!!! I loved that there was so many protein options, including plant…read morebased. Seafood is always good in Maui so I went with fish empanadas and camarones arepas. More than enough for one person../probably a little too much for one person :) The inside has pretty limited seating and there is some outdoor seating, but also limited- so you may want to consider ordering to go. The parking lot is also pretty tight since the entire back row is reserved for employees

Actually was quite pleasantly surprised that we liked the Venezuelan food. The lady at the counter…read morewas friendly and helpful. Lots of plant based options. Beans were well cooked and flavored. So was the rice. The bananas/ plantains added good sweet flavor to the whole meal. The coconut cheese was interesting. Never had that before but it did taste like cheese and added flavor. The jackfruit arepa sandwich that we had, could have had the jackfruit, cheese, plantains mixed together better. The jackfruit bowl was better as it was easier to mix everything and get all the flavors together. Pretty much same as the sandwich but a little more and easier to mix (so would recommend the bowl over the sandwich). The sandwich seemed to be made of rice. We also had a mango and a coconut slushie drink. The mango tasted like the mango concentrate from Costco (sugary) and the coconut was a little more original/ different. We liked both though. Limited indoor seating. Outdoor seating available. Steady flow of patrons. The only thing I didn't like was that the price was a bit high though in my opinion but I guess everything in Maui is that high priced. Update: went back and got a coconut slushie drink again :) and tried the plant based mushroom and cheese (coconut cheese) and fish empanada. They were delicious with the mushroom being our favorite. The chipotle sauces and cilantro onion sauces were delicious as well! The empanadas are not made to order (they are premade so you cannot seperate out the cheese from the mushroom but it does not have a strong flavor). I also liked the coconut slushie by itself vs mixed with mango. Note: The empanadas come in 2: when you eat in house, a red Chipotle sauce and white cilantro onion sauce are given with it (as well as with the arepas); there is another sauce for vegans (think it's a cilantro/ oil/ spice sauce). We liked the white sauce better than the vegan sauce. The empanadas are not made to order (they are premade). If you order to go, you are only given once sauce. If you want more than one, you need to just add it on before you leave with the big dispensers. Otherwise, you only get one sauce (not sure why you can't just add white and red sauce in the same to go container but we weren't given the option). And, to make things worse, the lady said curtly she would charge me next time for 2 sauces "due to the plastic". well, thank you for not charging me but the statement was unnecessary IMHO. Note for improvement (and for this, I was tempted to drop the star rating): we came here multiple times and gave your business a lot of our dollars (about 135.00), yet the above statement, I don't think was necessary if you are trying to provide good customer service. You should gladly offer extra of the sauce or even, as I suggested above, allow customers to add the sauce themselves if they want more than 1 sauce and you don't want us to "use up your plastic containers". Kind of left a bad taste in our mouths.

Teixeira's Pasteles can be found at the Kailua Farmers Market held every Thursday evenings @ the…read moreparking near Longs. They are usually on the mountain side of the parking lot. You'll recognize them by their bright red sign. Teixeira pasteles are the best I've found so far.....probably because it reminds me of the pasteles my neighbors used to make. The lady who sold them to me said it was her grandmother's recipe. If it wasn't for the black olives I'd swear it was my neighbor's recipe (my neighbor used green olives). For those of you who have never tasted a pastele this is the epitomy of comfort food. They are sold as combo with Spanish rice, or separately 2/$5.00. I usually buy them separately...they re-heat well. They've also begun selling smoked meat, and you can buy it by the bag or as a small plate: 1 scoop rice, smoked meat (and I think mac salad?) I haven't tried it yet, but if it's anything like their pasteles it should be delicious! Yelp 365 Challenge: #7/365

Well, sadly I didn't take a picture. I stopped in this past weekend and opted for this truck…read moreamongst the crowd. I was a little hesitant because I didn't look up reviews and being so far from the Caribbean was a hint a caution. But let me tell you what, this truck delivered. Abiki was such a kind, generous woman. Her aura was matched by the food. I opted for the special of chicken curry. The chicken included two very large drums, a thigh and several small potatoes. I chose the rice and beans as the side component. The spice was perfectly balanced. Just enough to be present, but not overpowering for a standard guest. I'm obsessed with spice, so it was fortunate that the plate came with a small cup of a fantastic sauce. It seemed to be more habanero driven, but I cannot be too sure of that. The chicken was absolute perfection. The potatoes fell apart as I chewed them and I think I'm going to dream about them for many years. I don't know if I'll ever get a chance to try this place again, but I sincerely hope so. It is tough to find a mix of food and person as lovely as this location has.

Quite possibly one of the most underrated food trucks. Don't sleep on this one folks!…read more AbiKi's is one of the few Caribbean food options on the island and I think the only option in Kihei. They've got that hot and spicy Caribbean flavor infused into dishes like empanadas, nachos, curry and oxtail stew (available on Fridays and Saturdays only), and more. My husband spontaneously ordered the chimichurri burger one day and while I didn't know what to expect at first, man that burger was mighty delicious! The beef patty is topped with chimichurri sauce and paired with lettuce, tomato, grilled onion, cheddar cheese, chimichurri aoili on a brioche bun. It's burger heaven! Flavorful and moist, it was devoured in no time. It also comes with sweet potato fries and a side of sauce. I don't know if the sauce is for the fries or the burger, but it pairs extremely well with both. Just give your burger a little dip -- SO good. All in all, this burger ranks pretty highly in my list of tasty burgers. We'll definitely be back again to try their other Carribean dishes!

I love this food truck and make sure never to miss it during our yearly visit to Maui. I bypass all…read morethe trucks in the lot and head straight to Da Nani Pirates for the best, freshest food. Trust me - Their beer batter is better than any you will ever taste. I love the Calypso sandwich, but this year got the beer battered fish sliders. Yummy, crunchy fish topped with a perfect pineapple slaw. And those soft, slightly sweet buns. . . What's not to love? Their Mac salad is so good and have I mentioned the Kalua pork sliders?!

I wanted to like this place but the whole experience was pretty sketchy…read more I ordered food at a different truck for myself but my little one wanted a hotdog so I went to Da Nani Pirates truck to order food for him and a can of coke for the wife. In usual fashion I ordered on the electronic kiosk... one hot dog and one can of coke. A few minutes later I was called to the window and was told they don't have cans of coke and they're out of hot dogs. Unfortunately that's what I was told to order from the people I was ordering for. When I asked for a refund the guy at the window said "we don't give refunds". So i responded "but I purchased a hot dog and a coke and you don't have them available. Why doesn't the menu say SOLD OUT or something? My wife and son wanted those specific items. It seems reasonable to refund my purchase, no?" So the worker responded "well can you ask your son if he wants something else? I'll exchange at no cost. And your wife can pick a different drink". Funny, because the grilled cheese, corn dog, and hot dog are all $7.95 haha so of course it would be at no additional cost. So I left the window and asked what my son wanted instead of a hot dog. Naturally he only wanted the hot dog, so I forced him to choose between a grilled cheese and a corn dog (I'm sure every parent has been in this situation and feels my pain). After a few minutes of arguing he decided on a grilled cheese. And feeling bad for me, my wife didn't care what drink she got, thank the lord! So I went back to the window and told him I'll take the corn dog. The man in the window then told me "hey, I found a hot dog. It was buried in the back of the cooler".... I'm not sure how confident I feel about him "finding a hot dog somewhere" when before he was beyond confident he didn't have any. And there's no way I'm walking back to the table with a hot dog after I forced my son to get a grilled cheese. Disclaimer than the seared Ahi fish tacos were good here. So to summarize, a terrible experience. And I definitely woipsnt stte go through that again There are a ton of food trucks who had way better customer service. I won't be going back unfortunately

I had a fantastic jerk, chicken platter with rice and beans grilled pineapple, some fried banana…read morevery tasty super nice people with just the right amount of New York attitude service was good was able to sit at a picnic table and enjoy your meal on a nice warm Saturday night and hot haiku In fact, I would call the scene.

is this food truck still Exist? trying to contact but number…read moreis not in service. i really enjoy their organic meats and its cooke with coconut oil. one of the best food i've tasted here on Maui.

We've enjoyed their empanadas at Friday Town Parties but hadn't stopped in to The Empanada Lady…read morerestaurant before. We were planning to meet a group for a party at 5pm. We saw from their website that they open at 4pm on Saturdays, so we planned to arrive a few minutes early. Unfortunately, they don't really open until 5pm on Saturdays. We stood outside, in the rain, and waited. Eventually, we were allowed inside to wait. We were greeted by the house cat, who had to inspect our laps and found them to be acceptable, as well as our petting abilities. We waited for our friends in the bar area but apparently, the bar is closed. It has a sign for "order pickup", but they don't do take-out on Saturdays. You would think that would be explained on their website. It simply directs you to email your take-out order. We saw a couple of customers who were disappointed when they arrived and their food order wasn't ready. So, you might want to keep that in mind. The decor is interesting. Lots of nice paintings and other wall hangings. You could spend a lot of time admiring their artworks. I wanted to explore the garden area but the falling rain and lack of a roof kept me in the main dining room. Judging from the pictures on Yelp, the dining area has been upgraded with more tables and chairs. I also saw that one of the early 5 star reviews was made by Sara P., The Empanada Lady herself. Oh-kay. Lots of her pictures that would look good on their website, too. Matthew served our party of 10 and did a great job. He kept our glasses full and was very nice. He answered our questions and took our dinner orders. I asked for the Chicken Coconut Curry, with Papaya Seed Salad and Coconut Black Bean Rice. We knew to expect a rather long wait, and we were entertained by their jazz band that played from 6 to 8. They switched off 3 different singers to give us a little variety. The band sounded very good but a little loud for the size of the restaurant. The food arrived after about 45 minutes and it was delicious. The Chicken Coconut Curry was very creamy with just the right amount of curry. I'm glad it was served in a bowl. The price was a surprise, though. The website showed $18 but the actual price was $24. Could some please update the website? Otherwise, I would have gladly given 5 stars. I am looking forward to returning and trying other menu items.

Their empanadas and other items are top-tier and a perfect representation of The Empanada Lady…read morebringing her home culture's cuisine to the culinary scene of Maui. The restaurant is beautiful and has many decorations. The owner and staff are super friendly and always love to chat with customers. You can catch them both at the Sunday Market with a vendor stall, or at their main location in Wailuku Town - Miguel Morales Photography

Haven't had their food in awhile but ordered yesterday and my coworker picked up. Everything was…read moreono. We both ordered their squid luau and it was nice and thick like we like it. It was kind of on the sweeter side like my mom makes it so it tasted just like my mom's. I'm going to order their Hawaiian plate next time since their squid luau was so ono. Check them out!

One of the local staples in Maui, Pastele House has always been known to be one of the friendliest…read moreand kindest staff who are always hardworking to bring their culture's food to the Maui community. There was one time that I actually was studying during my college days when they were offering to give small plate lunches to the students studying on campus that day, and I always hear similarly from others about how much they help and provide for Maui. Their signature Pastele and Panadeja are always a go-to for my family, but my personal favorites have to be the garlic shrimp and steak plates - if you're looking for a filling meal with amazing savory taste and flair, Pastele House is where to go (and you can find them at local events like the Sunday Night Market or parked at the Wailuku Food Truck Park) - Miguel Morales Photography

Fifth or sixth time's the charm. The first time I saw them was at the Ilima Shell gas station when…read moreI was picking up Maui Beef Crisp way back when, but I had already eaten. The next time a couple years later I was lining up for lunch in Wailuku I think, only to have them run out of the two items I had my heart set on right when I got to the window. Last two or three years, they had catering jobs during my two weeks on island as I kept checking their IG. Finally, last year it was open for pickup at the Trampoline area, so we hightailed it over from W Maui just so I can finally try Chef Kyle's food before rushing back to meet our friends at the Nuff Sedd concert at Branches at Royal Lahaina. Was it worth it? Yes!! With a rotating menu of different cuisines out of Big Red at a trampoline parking lot on Fridays only. It was Puerto Rican that week so we got pastele stew and mofongo which I had to gild the lily with 1/2 order of camarones al ajillo on top. So good, we inhaled it right at the parking lot and wanted more. This year, fingers crossed he will be cooking end of September as I need to bring insulated bags so I can bring extra orders back to W Maui.

I attended an event catered by Maui Fresh Streatery last night and had the pleasure of meeting Chef…read moreKyle. He is friendly and generous, and his poke bowls are to die for! Delicious morsels of ahi and the perfect mix of flavor and creaminess with the added texture of little crispy tempura crumbles. The two other options served -- a crispy pork belly bao bun and a crispy chicken dish -- looked and smelled delicious as well. I will definitely be making the trek from upcountry to try more of his fare!

A lot of variety with different fruit and smoothie options. There are some picnic tables in the…read moreback. I ordered the fresh pineapple juice in a pineapple which was $10 each. It was made to order. It was definitely fresh and refreshing. It was a bit pulpy which is actually how I like my citrus juice. The guy here clearly hates his job or just hates the slew of tourists. I had ordered two of the pineapple juice but he must have misheard and only gave me one. He was quite annoyed that I wanted another one even though it meant more revenue for him. I thought he was just stressed from the long line so I gave him a nice tip hoping it'd make his day. No change in attitude and from the reviews here, it seems like that's just how he is.  The reviews here about the long wait is spot on. There were 4 people in front of me. It still took more than 30 minutes and the line behind got significantly longer. After I got my drink and settled to the table behind, I noticed the line was gone and he had temporarily closed the shop. There is a fruit stand next door so I didn't mind the wait since my kids did some shopping. This was the only juice stand off of Honoapilian Highway around Lahaina that I saw. Good to stop by for some fresh drinks but be prepared for the wait and brace yourself with the service.