Ohana Island Grindz — Restaurant in Maui

My review is strictly on my breakfast experience. Never had lunch here*

Came here honestly because the place down the street Maui Freshies (I think that's the name don't quote me, ha) stopped Serving breakfast at 10:30 apparently ! So this was a good plan B, so I thought.

Ordered the Fruity Waffle and a side of Macaroni Potato Salad.

First of all I'm not fan of the plastic utensils or paper plates but I'm aware that's an issue of saving money on water and environment. And also for helping to cut down on Covid related diseases down. All the being said paying a premium for a breakfast you have a certain level of expectation especially when traveling. Was not impressed overall with the presentation that includes what the food is served in. Felt like a cafeteria on the second floor of a random office building.

Getting back to the food. The waffle was decent but not earth shattering. Disappointed that only Strawberries, Blueberries, Banana we're offered as fruits. Considering of where we are in the world, I was hoping for at least Pineapple and Guava or Passion fruit. Also I think they are missing an opportunity to sell fruit as a plate or side as well.

The macaroni salad was good but it's a bit out of place for breakfast time.

The portions were not good for what was paid. Even with inflation I think it's slightly over priced.

Many drink offerings were available but no ice is sold here, strangely enough. Also my friend mentioned that the coffee was a bit off.

As much as I would like to give this my full support and 5 stars I can not in good conscious do that.

If you are looking for an authentic Maui breakfast or something unique while traveling here to the Islands I would avoid this place because it's not anything special. I would however give lunch a try here because it looks like that's the better option in terms of selection.

Server was pleasant, food came out on good time and place was clean. No issues there. They also serve Ice Cream which is a plus !

Final Verdict: 3 Stars ⭐⭐⭐

*Wouldn't be my very first choice for breakfast but worth a look if you don't find anywhere else to eat...

We only had breakfast at this establishment, so our review is focused solely on that experience. It appears that the reviews for the lunch service seem to be more positive. Regrettably, it turned out to be the most expensive and unsatisfying breakfast of our entire vacation.

The Acai bowl, despite its small portion size, had a relatively pleasant taste. It is worth noting that a simple combination of crushed berries is difficult to go wrong with. Not a lot auf fruits on top. However, we recommend removing the waffles from the menu, as they were tasteless and topped with an insufficient amount of approximately three blueberries and a lone strawberry, which left much to be desired in terms of both presentation and flavor.

Among the dishes we tried, the Ramen soup was the only one that received a positive response from my family. Personally, I found its taste to resemble that of a prepackaged meal, but it's important to acknowledge that individual preferences may vary. Maybe I’m wrong in this point.

Both the potatoes and the toast were disappointingly greasy. The toast, in particular, had an undesirable level of oiliness, which detracted from the overall dining experience.

The staff members appeared noticeably young, leading us to suspect that they might still be in a training phase. This raises questions about the justification for charging such high prices when the service and expertise provided fell short. Even if it’s family business. While one girl stood out as friendly and knowledgeable, the others seemed relatively unmotivated, resulting in lackluster service.

The coffee arrived quite late and had a weak flavor, reminiscent of water. Additionally, it was an inconvenience to have to request milk separately. Such practices can be frustrating, particularly in a country where tipping is customary. In other circumstances, I would not have felt compelled to leave a gratuity.

I have no problem paying a premium for quality food, but unfortunately, not even the mention of "aloha" can improve this review. Our dining experience also lacked any sense of aloha. Instead, we felt like...

Barely average food, very small portions, very unfriendly service... what little service there actually was. Won't be going back, miss the fact that one of our favorite sushi places is now gone and this place is there instead.

IN REPLY: I'm actually quite happy... just not with our meal or experience at your place. And your response is further evidence of the atmosphere you present. Instead of an inquisitive tone with interest and desire in how to improve, you're rude and defensive.

So let's get to it: your "greeter", a young lady, was inattentive, short and presented an attitude of "I'm just here for a pay check, don't bother me". Your $11 "Acai" bowl was more of a cup, with less than average tasting "acai" or maybe concentrate, very small fruit portion with below average fruit quality (tiny mushy blueberries, tiny hard/white strawberry slices, decent banana) & your $11 "light & fluffy Belgian waffle" was NOT crisp, light or fluffy but was doughy, heavy as concrete, and dense as an undercooked doughnut. With 6 TINY slices of strawberries, maybe a dozen equally mushy blueberries, and decent banana slices. And if there was "whipped cream", it was melted and absorbed into the "waffle". Sadly, I commented to my wife at the time that the best part of the meal was the banana. With the only service being that the food was brought to our table (you have to buy Kirkland bottled water if you want water), I even generously gave an undeserved, small tip.

I didn't want to be so negative in my review originally so I kept it simple. But your unprofessional reply deserved a more accurate depiction of our disappointing experience at your establishment.

In fairness, we only ate "breakfast", maybe the plate lunches are better. Won't help the service, however.

No worries, though. We HAPPILY went home and ate good, fresh food with ripe tasty fruit and sat on our lanai ENJOYING our amazing ocean view! Have a great day & much future success!!

Oh, I removed more stars after...