Manoli's Pizza Company — Restaurant in Maui

Bad experience, mostly due to the server we had.

Went in and only could sit at the bar (not a problem) and the guy tending to us was clearly unhappy to be there. He wasn't at all friendly or welcoming. The first thing he said to us wasn't hello, aloha, welcome, or any kind of greeting, it was "those tables aren't available." We weren't even about to sit at the tables, we were just looking out over the patio to see how the surroundings look. Anyway, we sit down and the next thing he says is "you only have 10 minutes to order." So it's important to know that the kitchen closes at 10pm here. They have a late night menu also. Also, there weren't a lot of people so it wasn't a situation where they were so busy, they were having a hard time managing things. Anyway, they gave our pizza to the wrong person (how did that get mixed up? We had a chicken veggie and they had pepperoni) who left with our pizza and then came back later and returned the pizza. That was the pizza they gave us. We had already paid for it and now it was 10:15pm so we could either take the pizza or be SOL cuz nothing else is open. I asked if I could get a side of balsamic and the guy said "no, the kitchen is closest it's all put away." How "put away" could a bottle of balsamic possibly be? And there's the late night menu so it's not totally closed. Anyway, pretty much everything about that sucked. We weren't rude, didn't even comment about the pizza situation that had been taken by the wrong person, walked through the rain, and returned to us in a wet box. Our responses were just "ok." We left without a "thanks, mahalo, sorry" nada...

Our dinner plans were turned upside down on this particular night. We planned to have dinner at a place in Kihei that was closing for good but walk in's weren't allowed. Our second choice could've been had but with a 50-minute wait. Enter Manoli's, a place none of us tried and where we ended up.

ATMOSPHERE: They're located within the Wailea Village Center, a small strip mall at the corner of Wailea Ike & Wailea Alanui drives. It's an older establishment, totally open-air and spread out across a roomy lanai.

MENU: Italian-inspired apps, salads, pizza, pasta, sandwiches (lunch only), dessert, kids menu.

BEVERAGE: Angeline Rosé This blend combined subtle flavors of watermelon and citrus. Absolutely smooth with no bite.

FOOD: Calamari It was a very small portion for the price, and consisted of just teeny, battered rings. Flavors were all over the place as the pieces at the top weren't seasoned but the ones at the bottom were soaked in a Tabasco-like sauce. The share plates brought to us were dirty and oily, looking like they missed the dishwasher.

Chicken Alfredo Creamy, cheesy, and not heavy. I added tiger shrimp that were nice and crunchy. The pasta was fettuccine, cooked perfectly al dente. A cute piece of buttery garlic bread accompanied. Smallish portion for the price but still highly recommended.

SERVICE: Host greeting was friendly and professional. No reservations were needed.

Female server took great care of us. She was attentive and extremely down to earth.

TIPS: The "toppings" section of their menu can be added to any pizza or pasta selection.

OVERALL: Chill vibe and fair pricing...

I heard a lot about it so I stopped by. Great view, ambiance, decor, and menu were simple but interesting. We had drinks and was intending to graze the menu but opted not to. I tried to like it and indulge the menu, but the service was a little weak. It wasn't busy at all, but attention and focus on customers seem to be secondary while employees seem to get better attention. I'm in the industry and understand its limits, allowances, and day-to-day stresses, but it was too bad because, for me, it was a turn-off. It was the same for a family next to us, as they were forgotten midway through service. I'm on the island for business and will give it another shot as the menu is enticing, especially the chicken picatta. If I try the menu, I'll take better pics. I opted not to post pics that had employees concerned in them. We'll see what happens. I like the story behind it; they just need to emphasize a little better service to the front of house staff, and I think they'll sustain their product a lot better in the long run. How you service and interact with your customers directly affects how much they take home and how well the restaurant does. But, of course, everyone knows this. Those who actually live the mantra are a notch above in these...