Cafe O'Lei Kihei

We went to Cafe O’Lei to celebrate our daughter’s birthday while on vacation in Maui and we absolutely loved it! The food was truly outstanding, the lobster risotto was one of the best meals I’ve had anywhere. The service was wonderful, and the atmosphere was beautiful. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming, and we had a lovely evening. Highly recommend!

We made reservations for a party of four and naively requested a table with an ocean view. There’s a thin sliver of an ocean view behind the high rise resorts located across the street. The service was rushed. If they had not tried to rush us…. we would have been able to enjoy ourselves. Overall we had less than an hour for dinner. The cocktails were alright. Our appetizers were delicious. If the food had been hot (not room temperature) it would have been good. Overall we were disappointed.

Fantastic!!! We wandered off the resorts to try something local and this place was in the top favorites! The outside first appears to be less than top quality but once you make it upstairs and into the restaurant ans try the food and drinks, you'll want to go back. Our sever was on top of his game and we can't find one thing to complain about. We'll make this a must go to spot everytime we visit maui.

Stopped in twice during our recent trip to Maui. The first time we arrived at dinner time with no reservation, however, they got us seated within 10 minutes. The second time we had reservations. The staff was very, very friendly and attentive. Both times the food was very good as were the drinks. The portions are huge, so come with a hungry stomach! I recommend the prime ribeye and my wife loved the macadamia crusted chicken. Just go before 6 pm, it gets very busy after that, which is always a good sign. You never want to go to a slow or empty restaurant! It’s not oceanfront but if you time it right you can catch a glimpse of the sunset. We will definitely be back on our next trip to Maui!

Nice place with good food! The flavors on the eggplant dish were amazing. Hubby got a surf and turf off the specials that he said the steak had a unique flavor seasoning. I think it was the hint of rosemary in the chimichurri sauce on the steak.

This place is located upstairs with no views of the ocean. Still nice though. They had some good gluten free options which was nice. Stairs and elevator are available. The street side stairs are slippery when wet. Dry rear stairs are available as well

The crab cake is good and the onion soup is decent. However, the Mahi Mahi is disappointed. Not as fresh as it should be. It's just like my company's food. The bok choy was not carefully cleaned. Overall, I would rather have a poke bowl from foodland

Absolutely delicious up scale dining. We had the Turkey Cranberry Sandwich and the Macadamia Nut Crusted Chicken. Great atmosphere and great service!

They are located on the second level upstairs, but they have an elevator available if you prefer not to use the stairs. I ordered prime rib to go, and the daughter of the owner greeted me and was incredibly sweet. I requested a hibiscus lemonade, which wasn't on the menu, and I was thrilled that they were able to make it for me--it did not disappoint! The prime rib was reasonably priced and is available on their menu every day on the lunch/dinner menu. It was the only place I could find near my hotel that serves it. I was delighted by how tender and perfectly cooked it was. The meal came with two pieces of greens, mashed potatoes, and a tomato. The sauce was also good. Overall, I would definitely come back, especially because the staff was extremely friendly and helpful. The prices were reasonable, and the restaurant was clean and inviting.

Received a $50 gift certificate (paper) during COVID from a close family member for a trip that ended up not happening due to COViD. I called restaurant and confirmed they would honor it still even though it was older (paper, not a card, a few years old,etc.). I gave the gift certificate to a friend to use on her trip this week. Before ordering, she confirmed with waitress and hostess that it was still good. Time to pay- the owner refused to honor it. Accused them of having a fake/copy and that his own staff was wrong to have said they'd accept it. Even said "She's just a hostess" when they said your staff said it was ok to use. Embarrassed my friends and then confiscated it as a "counterfeit." My friends felt awful. I am horrified at the treatment by the owner of his customers. I can guarantee we did not "make" or "copy" that gift card. It was numbered and signed by a member of his team. The owner should be embarrassed about his behavior.

Very disappointed about this place! Came here for lunch time around 2:30pm after the Maui marathon. I was born here and moved to Oahu when I was 10 so this is my home town! And me and my friend wanted some rice and meat to eat so we saw this place had prime rib! Came in and got seated right away the place looked very nice and fancy! We asked if we can order the prime rib but the lady said it was only for dinner time. So we ordered the prime rib sandwich and onion soup. Then this family that's sitting behind us I know they're regulars since the lady knows the customers names. Told them "you're here for your usual, let me get the dinner menu for you" I was like what the actual hell. Like just because we're not regulars doesn't mean you can give them the dinner menu and we couldn't get it either? That's pretty rude! Then we got our onion soup first and asked for a plate or bowl to share it and she didn't even grab it for us... so we just ate the onion soup from its bowl it's self even tho we wanted to share it. We also asked for more napkins too but she also forgot that too... Then our prime rib sandwich came out and it was huge! It was really good and couldn't finish it! The onion soup was great too! We also asked for the check and take out container and then she went to help that family and forgot our take out boxes and check... we waited awhile. You know the food was amazing the kitchen staff did a great work but the customer service from the front was not so great! Very disappointed! I don't think you should treat all the customers that way! If you're gonna give out the dinner menu to the regulars you should give it to everyone then!

Hostess was extremely friendly, loved her. Great service, very friendly and attentive server. She was fantastic, all smiles. We made sure to give her a great tip. Food... meh. We got their lunch plate special for $12.95 which was a chicken and broccoli curry with rice and Mac salad. The broccoli was so over cooked, it didn't require chewing. Chicken was okay. Rice was undercooked and hard. The mac salad was good. We also ordered their prime rib dip for $19.95. The French fries were very fresh and tasted great. The sandwich left a lot to be desired, the meat was very dry and tough to chew. I would not recommend coming here for food, at least not what we ordered. We came because we've been taking friends there for lunch for many years but maybe the chef has changed? Quality not there for the price paid. We would have been better off going elsewhere for plate lunch. Maybe they would be a good happy hour place?

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.

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.

They need to expand to Oahu. Just a small pop up or a food truck. I can't get enough of this place. The service is amazing. The entire staff knows the menu inside and out. Everybody here is polite. Waters are always refilled along with your beverage of choice (nonalcoholic). The fish special is amazing. Here's a hack. Get the burger with the onion soup. You basically got a French dip. Call it the Hawaiian Dip.

Just finished an AMAZING lunch! Nice quiet ambiance. Very attentive staff. Mia was soo nice, very helpful and personable. Hardly go out to eat these days, but this was such a nice treat!

We came in a little early for dinner so we decided to have appetizers and wait for the dinner menu. We had the beat salad and calamari and both were absolutely delicious! Looking forward to the prime rib for dinner!!

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!

This place was underwhelming. We are here on vacation and a couple at the pool at our hotel who come here a lot suggested it. We started with crabcakes and they were fried. Mostly they are breaded. They also tasted like maybe they had been frozen. I then had the short ribs and they were OK but smothered in sauce, which was just too much. My gorgeous date had the mahi-mahi and she needed another plate because it was drowning in whatever kind of sauce it was in. The service was OK, but it's one of those places where when they clear your plates they stack them right in front of you and it just is a poor presentation and makes a lot of noise. The decor is dated and can certainly use a refresh. Not planning on returning. Oh, and beware... They add a 3% surcharge for, and I kid you not, "kitchen appreciation". Huge huge fail.

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.

The food was less than i had hoped for. Let me say the steak was cooked great!!! However 1/2 of the steak was fat. The shrimp which I assumed were whole were cut into fourths were cooked well and were delicious! Our server James was so patient with us as we decided what we wanted to do, but explained the meat they receive all have fat and if they cooked another one it would also be full of fat. He offered us dessert but i am a diabetic so sorbet would not work. We asked for more shrimp and were brought 4 intact shrimp. The ambiance was great and they tried to seat us next to the kitchen but i asked to be seated away firm the kitchen so the hostess seated us two rows away. However you could still hear dishes clanging about which was disappointing.

Always a mess when we're in Maui! An oldie but goodie. Unfortunately, the sushi bar is permanently closed after the fires as we discovered this time around. We both had the mahi encrusted dinner, which was delicious and the pineapple upside down cake. My son had the fish and chips and we enjoyed a cocktail.

This is a casual atmosphere. They have the nicest staff. Who also are competent & efficient! We came here 3 times in 5 days! Got their fish of the day each time. Delicious! Fish was always cooked perfectly. Salad is fresh, cold and also delicious. One of their sauces for the fish of the day had fish sauce in it. So I recommend getting the sauce on the side. Their fish needs no sauce anyway! Yum! Their drinks were good as well! I'm picky about ingredients in my cocktail, I liked how they made theirs! Enjoy! And definitely try their $19.99 "catch of the day" plate! Broke da mouth good

Nice layout with good views, food is excellent. Service was excellent (Paulo was our server I believe) and the first place where the mahi was flaky and cooked perfectly. Very fast service, we ate early but it was very attentive and great at the end of the day.

We had a wonderful dinner here. Greeted quickly as we entered and got a window table. Waitress was very helpful answering and questions we had. Had a slip one 1 of the 4 menus explaining the specials for the night(not sure why everyone didn't get that) our order came out pretty quickly. Food was drlicous surprised waitress never came to check on us except after we were done to ask if we wanted dessert. She handed the little credit card machine to our friend then walked away he had some trouble with it took a while for her to cone back. But maybe she didn't want to put us on the stop adding the tip not sure. It is a nice place to have a good meal.

We ate here for lunch in January. At the time we visited we found they were closed on Monday for tours. We were seated almost immediately. I ordered the Mac Nut Chicken sandwich with basil aioli, maui greens, tomato on focaccia with a small salad. The food was delicious and an ample serving for lunch. My only complaint was that the focaccia was not as soft as I expected for a sandwich. I ended up only eating a little of the bread. This open air restaurant is a beautiful setting. The staff was helpful, and the service was fast. I'd go back again when we're in the area.

Good, excellent, our 2 servers Travis & ?(sorry). Everyone enjoyed their food! This was a special dinner, it couldn't have gone better from start to finish. Thank you Cafe'Olei.

Café O'Lei - Maui Dining Gem! We had a fantastic dinner at Café O'Lei while vacationing in Maui -- this place is an absolute must-try! The service was warm and attentive without being overbearing, and the ambiance had just the right mix of island charm and relaxed sophistication. My friend ordered the macadamia nut-crusted mahi mahi -- perfectly crispy on the outside, flaky and moist on the inside. The tropical spin on the dish was spot-on. I had the lobster mushroom risotto, and wow -- creamy, rich, and full of deep, savory flavor with generous portions of mushrooms and lobster. It was decadent without being too heavy. We paired it all with a glass (or two...) of Malbec that was smooth and well-chosen. Whoever curated their wine list deserves a high five. Delicious food, great drinks, stellar service -- 10/10 would return. A true highlight of our trip!

We came here twice during our stay on Maui, once for lunch and once for dinner. Both meals were excellent. The wait staff was friendly and knowledgeable about the food and the beverages. The menu at both lunch and dinner had good fish choices (when in Rome). The prices were reasonable.

Cafe o lei catered our wedding seven years ago . We were in town and ordered some dishes from our wedding . Food was just as amazing as how we had first did our tasting and on our wedding day . Service was good . We were seated right away and are attentive. Ambiance - coming from Los Angeles is casual dining but elevated .

I've loved going to this restaurant for years and just realized that I've never written a review! I recently had a dinner for my 40th Birthday here with all of my coworkers. We had a group of about 14 people. Drinks, appetizers and entrees all came out quickly and tasting great. The staff was on it, very personable and efficient. The restaurant has a really great vibe to it. The food is consistently delicious and the prices are very reasonable. Overall, they have a menu with something for everyone and their signature drinks are creative and tasty. Desserts are also awesome so save some room!

Made a reservation just in case. Had a semi private table. Fast friendly service throughout. Food was very well and filling Save room fir dessert I didn't ugh

My BFF's and Loved Cafe O Lei for Food, Service and ambiance. We loved our Server Travis! He was funny and he is on it. He took our orders without writing down and there is 8 of us. He is very attentive. The manager also came to see how are we doing and the food came really fast and as always the Prime Rib was huge and tender

My party of 16 and I showed up here one morning and had a decently pleasant experience. The cafe isn't huge, but I was impressed at their ability to handle such a large party on the fly. I ordered the loco moco and honestly did not like it. it's more likely an issue with my dislike of the dish as a whole, rather than the cafe's rendition of it though. The service was very friendly and made sure we always had our drinks filled. I'd definetly come back to try something else in the future

Food is still good. Short ribs were great. Way better than the hotel restaurants at a decent price.

Perfect go to place when in town to meet up with friends and have a lovely lunch. I always enjoy their specials of the day and their Ceasars salad is the best I've ever had. I think they make their own special dressing. So yummy. Service is always friendly and fast. Highly recommend ... anytime!

Booked a table for our anniversary dinner. I was a little nervous seeing a few of the reviews about the service. I was happy to see they were wrong! We had very attentive and friendly service. My husband had the eggplant tower and loved it!I was not super hungry so had the yummy onion soup with puff pastry and a Caesar salad. All tasty. The flatbreads looked amazing. I would come back for that!

Located in Kihei across from the beach, second floor, in a zig-zag strip mall, Cafe O Lei did not disappoint! The staff were very nice and informative. One of my kids accidentally spilled water everywhere and the staff were super fast to help out and so understanding. The food, OMG! Let me say that again, the FOOD. OH. MY. GOSH. Phenomenon! We got the jumbo shrimp linguine- so creamy, buttery, shrimp cooked perfectly. Also the prime rib, mashed potatoes, tomato & bok choy, and the popover - delicious. The macadamia nut crusted Mahi Mahi w/ lemon caper butter, rice, bok chok/tomato - unbelievable. My chicken expert loved the crispy chicken with fries - it melted in your mouth. Actually everything did. It is a bit pricey but worth it in my opinion. We'll be back for the lunch menu.

I don't give 5 stars often, but here I did. Don't miss this place! I had the NY Sirloin and my wife had the Prime Rib. Both outstanding! Basic seasoning let the deliciousness of the meat come through. And serving size? I refer to my wife as Wilma now. lol Calamari appetizer Quilt Cabernet Great ambiance and excellent service. We are so happy we chose this place

My husband and I enjoyed this restaurant in Kihei, which was recommended by a local during our vacation. Located on the second floor of a building with shops below. With large windows to look out and great service, we enjoyed our meal. Sheer curtains separate some of the tables which provide a little privacy. We loved the Maui onion soup and mahi-mahi sandwich. The Cesar salad was also amazing!

I was surprised at the lovely ambiance in what appeared to be a run of the mill strip mall location. I had the honey pork with squash, large portion and delicious. My dinner mates had blackened mahi-mahi over coconut rice. Topped of with a delicious lime gin cocktail and pineapple upside down cake. Excellent service, extremely attentive and honest server who stared us to his favorite dishes. We definitely plan on coming back and are going to try their location at the plantation.

Pretty solid and affordable spot in Kihei. I really liked the fish entree that I ordered. It's on the second floor of the building so you have decent views of the ocean depending on where you sit. No outdoor seating. Service was good. Nothing fancy, but a good spot for lunch or dinner.

First meal in Maui and it was one of our favorites. Ahi tuna nachos were so fresh and delicious! I ordered the mahi mahi and husband ordered snapper. We loved them both and I couldn't decide which one was better!

Now I know why this had mixed reviews. The Mahi mahi with Mac nut was ok. The flavor was lacking. The blacked mahi mahi was better with the salsa but still was not on point.

Yeah. I like this place. A lot. Been here multiple times over the years. Sure they could invest in some blinds/curtains for sundown, where the direct sun is brutal - but they haven't. On to the food. Mahi was amazing. And omg - those Asian braised shortribs are one of the best menu items in all of Kihei. Very large and filling portion. Great drinks and service. Overall a must go.

We came here out first night on Maui and absolutely had to come back a few days later for my birthday dinner. Fantastic food, breezy ambiance, and wonderful service. I had the macadamia nut pork and the prime rib, which were both spectacular. The service was top notch -- Rhea is an absolute gem! It's pricey, but not wildly out of line for, well, everything here. I hope to try the plantation location on a return trip!

YUM! Their loco moco was great! My husband and I shared so we added spam to the dish which was the perfect combo! Great outdoor seating.

Wow! If you're visiting or live near the Kīhei-Wailea area, definitely check out Cafe O'Lei. As a first timer here, I really had no expectations, but now that I've been and tasted the food, it deserves 5 stars. Each portion of our food were generous and flavorful. The steak was cooked well, the shrimp linguini had tons of sauce packed with flavor, and the chicken was great! The roast pork was a little dry, but the flavor was there. The staff were very attentive and made regular rounds to the table. Our server made sure we had everything we need. The restaurant itself is a decent size. The night we were there was a little loud, but hey it's a popular place with lots of people! Overall a great experience. Check them out when you're in town!

We continue to think Cafe O'Lei has some of the best fish on the island with great service. We visited twice on our most recent visit (lunch and dinner) and it was delicious both times. Both times we had the fish special (ono at lunch panko crusted and mahi at dinner mac nut crusted). For dinner, I recommend making a reservation and going after sunset as you can't really see the beach as it's all seating inside. We started by splitting the Maui (French) onion soup, which was hearty with guyere cheese, topped with a flaky pastry. Yum! We both had the fish special (mac nut crusted mahi with lemon caper butter sauce), mine with rice and husband with mashed potato, plus a side vegetable. We had a seat by the window which was separated by a sheer curtain. Service was good, we had a waitress in training who was sweet. We brought a special bottle of wine and corkage was $25, but they have a great wine list and full bar. The dessert was the star of the show. Fried banana cheesecake with mac nut vanilla ice cream and homemade caramel sauce. So decadent! We will be back on our next Maui visit. So glad this restaurant is doing well and still serving amazing meals.

The quality of food has significantly deteriorated post Covid. The prime rib is still an excellent choice however the quality is disappointing with Luke warm steak and soggy popovers. The chicken warps is still good with excellent flavors however their Maui onion soup is a hit or miss either too much onion or not enough cheese ! The macadamias crusted mahi mahi is dry and chewy. Lastly the price has increased post Covid and service tonight was out of sink. It wasn't busy either for a Wednesday night. Lastly they stopped serving sushi since January 2024. Ambiance has not change either with many locals and less tourists.

Great food and service. The Mahi mahi was delicious. Our guests split a huge prime rib, probably one and a quarter pounds. We have eaten here many many times over the years and would highly recommend it.

I love Cafe O'Lei! My family always comes here for celebrations and special occasions! Usually we do the fish special because it is always fresh and tastes so delicious! The service is quick and servers are great! The decor is very nice and I like the tables that have a sheer curtain! I think it's pretty cool!

The wait staff were wonderful. Helpful and pleasant as could be. Facility very nice. My brother and I ordered the prime rib, med rare. we received a huge chunk of meat that is probably the worst beef I have ever tasted. It was cooked to medium, dry and awful. Did not take more than a few bites.

Ambience deserves 4 stars but the food deserves 2.9 stars. I had the Margarita Flatbread pizza and it was average tasting. Shared it with a co-worker in which he described it as under seasoned in all aspects. To accompany the flat bread I had a half Caesar Salad and the onion soup. The onion soup was definitely the best thing our table had. Co-workers ordered the Big Shrimp Fettuccine which was filling, short rib which was no where close to fork tender, prime rib which was completely mediocre just by looking at it. Our servers were amazing and provided great service. Wish the food tasted better.

I used to enjoy coming here to eat, but I recently had a bad experience with a waitress named Terri and I don't plan on ever coming back. I came in alone, just ordered the shrimp pasta since I wanted a quick meal before I head out to the airport. I knew what I wanted when the waitress named Terri approached me and I ordered. She brought it out and the food was ok. I asked for the check and she brings out the remote card reader, and it's awkward when it asks for the tip. It started at 25%.... but i can't justify paying this waitress $8 tip for just handing me the pasta plate. I understand if I ordered several dishes, appetizers and desserts and drinks etc, and she had to wait on us and was busy juggling multiple tables. But she literally just handed me food. I still tipped her to be nice but she made a face and said really sarcastically "have a good day!" Just because it wasn't 25% tip. She went from being fake nice to super rude just because she didn't get an $8 tip for handing me one plate. Now I'm glad I didn't tip her more because she didn't deserve even $1 tip... some of the other wait staff were friendly when I walked in but I would never come back if this waitress is still going to be around. Ruined my experience here and left a bad taste in my mouth. Unprofessional lady

This place has changed so much over the years. It is a convenient spot and parking is easy for those in Kihei. Their business is geared towards tourists now. The food quality is awful and I hope they get it together as this has been a local favorite for a long time.

Food was good, mahi mahi entrees were tasty. Slow service at first but they made up for it.