Hali'imaile General Store — Restaurant in Maui

Another year, another review update as we've been in several more times.

BEVERAGE: Maui Mule Ever since a friend ordered this while we were on vacay in Kona, I've been a huge fan. The version here is the tastiest that I've had so far with perfectly ratioed ingredients that resulted in bold, sweet and savory flavors.

FOOD: Caesar Salad One of the island's best versions resides right here. At first I didn't know why I preferred some caesar salads over others, but now I do. Baby romaines. They just taste better overall, compared to their mature siblings that retain too much water. The dressing is creamy, tangy and fishy; everything that a caesar should be.

Seared Scallop Risotto Eyes gleaming, a beautifully plated entree of scallops seared to perfection over a buttery mound of risotto was presented. Earthy beech mushrooms that resemble enokis along with crunchy corn kernels made this my new favorite dish at HGS. Highly recommended.

Bev's Famous Crab Pizza One of my favorite apps. Still tasty with that topping, but the flatbread wasn't toasted enough in the middle, resulting in a chewy, almost raw-like texture.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich This is a lunch menu item only. The delectable name of the dish is what sold me. While the sandwich was good, there was no wow-factor. No creaminess from the buttermilk batter but just the taste of plain fried chicken. I nixed the jalapeño slaw but kept the tasty aioli spread over the perfectly-grilled buns. Though not listed in the description, it did come with fries; thicker-cut shoestrings coated in that extra crispy batter.

French Onion Soup This was a nightly special. The flavors were there, but there was too much toasted bread (three slices turned on their sides to fit into the cup) which absorbed a lot of liquid.

Crispy Roast Half Duck The duck was moist with a nice sear to the skin, but I didn't care for the celery root purée that it sat on as it tasted like baby food. I would've opted for mashed potatoes but a newly added disclaimer to the menu states "For a great dining experience, Chef Bev Gannon & her crew ask for no menu substitutions." According to a reviewer from 7/14/19, they got charged the $8.00 split plate charge for doing so. What a shame. Anyway, back to the duck. I also could've done without the grand marnier orange sauce that pooled the purée as its citrus flavor was overpowering everything on the plate.

SERVICE: Still consistently good and attentive.

TIP: Avoid sitting at the tables at the rear of the restaurant under the low ceiling (used for large parties of 8+) as they're...

NOTHING “GENERAL” ABOUT HALI’IMAILE’s FOOD or SERVICE.

Been blessed to eat here on several occasions throughout the years and it never disappoints, but I’m not here to talk about the food, there’s hundreds of positive reviews about that. I want to praise the kindness of one of their servers.

On this particular Saturday, I was in UpCountry Maui with my 2yr old GrandBeauty far longer than I expected.

With no snacks packed I suddenly realized I was going to have a hangry toddler on hand VERY SOON. I can’t even handle myself when I’m hungry never mind a human being that’s only been in the world for 2 years and doesn’t quite understand that we can just wait 25 minutes until we get home.

However, unbeknownst to me going home would’ve been the quicker choice, as we went to three different establishments, (all pre-checked on Google maps to confirm their hours) and yet upon arrival, they were ALL CLOSED!!! HMPH!!😤

Defeated I just started heading home, praying that she would just fall asleep in the car, when suddenly, I realized we were passing HailiiMaile!!!

Knowing my luck today, I figured they would be closed too, but as we drove up, there were a lot of people standing outside, so I gave out a gleeful “Yay they’re open!” and parked the car.

Imagine my upmost despair, after wrestling my hungry grandsweetness out of her car seat, putting her slippers BACK on her feet for the zillionth time that day, and making our way across the highway to find that we had JUST MISSED their lunch service and they were currently prepping for dinner service -which was over 2hrs away.

Poor Kalai…. The server who delivered me this wonderful news. All I could mutter out of my mouth, as I watched my GrandLovie picking out a table that we wouldn’t be sitting at, was: “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

One look at my face and the defeated tone in my voice and he could instantly tell I was just over it.

"Does she like french fries?" Kalai says in a cheerful voice?

Me (instantly feeling hopeful): “Absolutely!! Anything would be good at this point. We’ve been to three different places and they were all closed.”

2 minutes later and here we are, my precious little GrandBeauty happily munching on fries (that were very yummy & crunchy by the way), while I enjoy the beautiful view from the front deck, marveling at the goodness of God.

Kalai wouldn't take payment or a tip ~ he said: “I have a 2 year-old daughter too. I...

Today's lunch experience left much to be desired. We arrived promptly for our 12:30 pm reservation, finding the main dining room only half full. Surprisingly, despite this, the hostess directed our party of 4 early arrivals to a dark and empty back room. When I requested a table in the well-lit main dining area, the hostess, who I've encountered before, greeted us with a displeased expression, making us feel like an inconvenience rather than valued customers.

This isn't the first time I've noticed such behavior from her, leading me to wonder if it's a pattern or just our perception. Whether it's due to our casual attire or being local Kama'aina, I cannot say, but this consistent seating arrangement policy seems to affect their business. It's no surprise that the main dining area remained empty throughout our entire lunch from 12:30 pm to around 1:40 pm.

The disappointing experience extended to our meal. We ordered 2 green papaya salads, both of which were overwhelmingly salty—so much so that neither my mother nor I could eat more than a few bites. When the waiter came by and asked how everything was, I mentioned the issue. He gave a brief shrug and said it’s because fish sauce is used in the dressing, then walked off without another word. It left me wondering why he even asked in the first place—like someone who poses a question out of obligation but clearly isn’t interested in the answer.

By the end of the meal, he noticed the untouched salads and, without offering any remedy or apology, simply walked away. No follow-up, no offer to replace the dish or adjust the check. Just indifference. For $36 worth of salad, I would have expected at least a gesture of acknowledgment. We ended up boxing them up to rinse off and feed to our chickens—frustrating, but at least someone will enjoy them.

Ultimately, our lunch for 6 cost nearly $400, delivering only an average dining experience at best. Regrettably, I invited guests based on proximity rather than quality, a decision I now regret. In the future, I'll gladly drive the extra distance to restaurants like Koast, Lineage Maui, or Ferraro's in Wailea, where hospitality and food quality are...