Huli Huli Chicken — Restaurant in Maui

Overall, I feel that the food is overrated and somewhat underwhelming, but the novelty and ambience of being able to eat right on the beach is nice. I suspect a lot of the rave reviews are adjusted for the fact that this is right on the beach and there aren't many other options nearby, but if rated solely for the food alone, I don't think we'd be seeing all these five stars. We heard that this place was featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives (Season 19, episode 11), so we were excited to at least check this place out on the Road to Hana. But in the end, the food just was not special.

When we arrived, they were out of the ribs, and so we ordered the huli huli chicken plate. It didn't come straight from a grill, but from a plastic container that was being used to quarter the grilled chicken. Being on the beach, most of the food were coming out of coolers, or metal reheating trays, including the rice which upon sitting in the cooler for so long had completely dried out.

The Huli Huli chicken (3.5 out of 5) was a basic rotisserie. While it was indeed good and moist, it really was not much different than the typical Costco rotisserie chicken (which I consider also good). What would have perhaps made this dish special was if they made their own barbecue sauce or marinade, but instead, they lay out bottles of Sweet Baby Rays or Sriracha for you to dip your chicken in. It was a bit underwhelming.

The rice (1 out of 5). I know this is just a side dish to balance out dishes, but it was so poorly done that it really was an affront to the mouth. Sitting in a cooler all afternoon it just became dry.

Noodles (1.5 out of 5) The noodles that came as part of the plate was quite sad, a step below Panda Express lo mein, perhaps because it's been sitting around all day.

The plate also came with macaroni salad, which I did not try so I could not rate it.

Overall, I think the appeal of this place is to be able to eat right on the beach, on the Road to Hana. It is a nice to be able to eat grilled food without driving into town. But if rated solely on the food, perhaps this place...

Huli Huli Chicken was a must-try for us after seeing it featured on NatGeo, so we made sure to stop by while doing the Road to Hana tour. The location alone makes it worth a visit—there’s nothing like enjoying lunch by the beach with stunning ocean views. It’s a great place to take a break, soak in the scenery, and refuel before continuing the drive.

The chicken was definitely tasty, with a nice smoky flavor, but to be honest, I didn’t find it all that different from a good rotisserie chicken. Some pieces could have used a little more time on the grill, as parts were still a bit pink, which was slightly concerning from a food safety perspective. The food is prepared ahead of time, so service is quick, but the downside is that it’s not as hot as you’d expect, especially the rice. The macaroni salad was new to our taste buds because it had olives—something we weren’t expecting—but it was actually tasty and refreshing.

Portions were generous, and a serving can easily be shared between two regular eaters, making the higher price a bit more reasonable. Still, it’s a little steep, but that’s pretty much expected in Maui. You’re paying not just for the food but also for the experience of eating in such a beautiful setting. Overall, it’s worth stopping by for the views and convenience, but if you’re expecting life-changing chicken, you might not...

Honestly, just OK. Nothing special or rave about. First attempt to try Huli Huli Chicken failed as we got there around 3 pm and they were sold out. Second attempt was a success - we got there just before noon and they had plenty. We ordered combo, famous chicken and pork. Chicken was too dry for my taste and didn't really have any flavor - whole chicken from Costco tastes similar in my opinion. Cabbage was good - just like I like it. Pork was good though, not dry and tasty. And I am a chicken person, so it feels weird to write this review. Side salad and rice were good - not a lot but enough. We actually ended up sharing one portion as it was enough for two adults! The price was about $26 I believe when we visited. Sitting area is small. We ended up in the tent further from the food stand. There were too many flies to enjoy. There were also some homeless people in tents which didn't look pretty. Overall it was that type of experience where you can say - been there, done that, don't need to repeat. Side note - there are not many options for food in that area, so I guess having cooked hot meal is...