Expensive but worth it
DESCRIPTION: David Paul's is the most expensive, but also the best, restaurant that is actually within the city limits of Lahaina. If you can tolerate the outrageous prices and not-very-large servings, you'll be thrilled with the food and service.
DATE: 2005-11-18
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Maui onion and sesame seed crusted ahi

A Big Improvement
DESCRIPTION: Pineapple Grill replaced Jamesons in the clubhouse of the Bay Golf Course in Kapalua in late 2005. It's a big improvement. The new chef has created many fabulous preparations of fish as well as meat dishes. The views are better than ever, with big picture windows replacing the open-air wooden shutters that often had to be closed on windy days.
DATE: 2006-02-17
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Seared Opakapaka with mashed potatoes and asparagus

Beautiful view and beautiful food on the roof
DESCRIPTION: We dined on the roof on this new Lahaina restaurant on 1-7-06. We had great views of the sunset in one direction and the West Maui Mountains in the other direction. The restaurant features raw oysters and other raw seafood, but we did not try any of those. The regular menu includes several interesting appetizers, such as Crusted Calamari ($10), Breaded fried portobello mushrooms ($9), and Crawfish Cakes ($8). I had a Caesar salad with fried anchovies ($6) and other salads were $5-7. There were three pastas available ($18-24). For my entree, I had Coriander-cumin-crusted Ahi with saffron risotto and stir-fried vegetables ($26.50) which was very tasty. Other entrees included interesting preparations of mahi-mahi, opakapaka, Mongolian pork chops, steaks, lamb and chicken ($20-33). For dessert we had a delicious pineapple cake ($8). I saw several of the salads, entrees and desserts being served to other tables, and all the presentations were beautiful. Service was a little slow, but the view and the food were very good. We will definitely return to this place. Lots more Maui restaurants are described and discussed on the Maui Restaurants tab of www.mauihawaii.org
DATE: 2006-01-08
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 6
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 8
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Pineapple cake

glad we found it!
DESCRIPTION: After spending all day on a whale watching tour, my husband and I decided to walk around Poipu. We happened down a side road just looking at homes when we stumbled on Casa di Amici. The restaurant wasn't open yet and we were very casually dressed, but hostess took a reservation and assured us that we were dressed fine. We watched the sun set while waiting for the restaurant to open (it was gorgeous) then went in to eat. I was famished from being out in the sun all day so we ordered an appetizer, salads, and entrees. We shared the Chili Verde Risotto served with home-made tortillas. It was so good I nearly had to wrestle with my husband just to get the few bites I had...we even considered ordering another! Fortunately our salads came out soon and distracted us from that idea. I had an Asian salad with almonds and goat cheese and my husband had a caesar salad. After a couple of bites we just looked at each other and couldnt't believe our luck! What are the chances of stumbling upon a restaurant where even the salads were unbelievable! It wasn't until after we finished our salads that I noticed how intimate the ambience had become once the last of the sunlight faded out of the sky and the live grand piano music began. That was when my entire focus changed...up that point the meal was working up to the entrees until I saw what was on the table next to us and realized I absolutely had to save room for DESSERT. For dinner I had a half order of the duck confit. My husband had the filet medallions on fettucine (and half of my half order, I couldn't fight him off of it...does that mean I really only had a quarter portion?). Our dinners were delicious, the confit...exquisite. For dessert we shared the tiramisu. It was prepared a bit different from what I've had elsewhere, and quickly became my new favorite. Our dinner that night was the most pleasant surprise of our entire trip, which is why we went back the last two nights of our week and half long stay on the island...even though we were staying all the way out on the north shore.
DATE: 2004-02-18
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : duck confit, japanese glazed salmon (something), porcini chicken, thai sticks, risottos, desserts...we recommend it all

Top Notch All the Way
DESCRIPTION: My husband, Paul and I went to Pacific O while on our honeymoon to Maui in August of 2001. We reserved Pacific O for our intimate dinner out and we were so glad we did. The ambiance and auora of the place makes you feel rich and warm. We sat at a cozy table for two along the beach and walked down to wade in the ocean while sipping a tantalizing Blue Hawaii and waiting for our meal. Our wait staff was friendly and well humored...and looked like Lawrence Fishburn! He made our meal extra enjoyable and took photos of us - at our request - with pleasure. Dinner was absolutely superb. Not only was the food delectible, but the presentation with colored spices around the rim of the plate was extraordinarily special. I've never seen anything like it. We can't wait to visit Pacific O again. [Originally submitted 06 Feb. 2003]
DATE: 2005-11-18
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 10

Horrible Experince
DESCRIPTION: My wife and I visited The Beach House Restaurant on our honeymoon and had an absolutely horrible experience there. The experience made very clear to us that the manager of this restuarant is aware that he is in a resort location at which he does not have to concern himself with repeat business. I honestly have never, every in my life been so offended at the way I was treated by a wait staff/management. The treatment was so bad that it, quite literally, ruined what should have been the nicest night of our honeymoon. Some friends of ours had given us an unlimited dinner at the restaurant for our wedding gift. They had made it very clear to us that the restaurant had their credit card on file. They emphasized that they wanted us to splurge as much as possible on dinner, and at the end we would have to do nothing but sign the slip. When we sat down to dinner, our waitress immediately brought us a wonderful bottle of champagne that our friends had ordered for us. We proceeded to enjoy that, as well as a very good meal, while watching a stunning sunset. To emphasize, the location was perfect and the meal was good. The food was only average when compared to meals you would eat on the mainland or in Europe, but for Hawaian dining, it was excellent. The trouble came after the meal. Our waitress, who had been tremendous up until that point, brought over a bill for the entire meal, minus the chamagne. When I asked her where we needed to sign, she indicated that I had to pay first before signing anything. I explained that this was not correct - that our friends had given us the entire meal as a present. She went and checked their records, and then came back and insisted that only the champagne was paid for. While I knew she was incorrect, I did not want to cause a scene, and so I just gave her my credit card. It was at this point that she made a snide remark about how our friends much "just have been talking big at the wedding." I was disturbed by her rude comment, but did not respond. When she brought back the credit card slip, I indicated to her that, while the meal, and her service, was wonderful, that somebody in the restaurant had screwed up then entire situation. I did this very quitely, indicating that I just wanted her to know, so that she could pass the information on to the manager. I told her that whomever had screwed up had left me in a very awkward position, as I would now have to go to my friends who had given us this wonderful gift and ask them to remiburse us for the meal. Obviously, an unenviable situation. The waitress indicated that her manager was there, that I could tell him myself, and that she would send him to the table. When the manager approached the table, instead of trying to rationally discuss the matter, he immediately got in my face and started accusing me of disrupting his restaurant, causing a scene, lying, etc. I wish I could emphasize how shocking this was - what was a very calm, quiet discussion with the waitress had suddenly been turned into an embarrassing disturbance by the general manager of the restaurant. I tried to discuss the situation rationally with him, but he essentially continued to accuse me, and/or my friend, of lying. It was unbelievably embarassing, so much so that my wife had to leave the restaurant, in tears. I have never in my life been treated so rudely. And on what was supposed to be one of the nicest nights of my honeymoon. The manager finally agreed that the next day he would telephone my friends who had left the credit card for the meal. While continuing to express skepticism about the veracity of my claims, he indicated that if they said that it was supposed to be paid for, he "would probably just take care of the entire meal." That was essentially the end of our conversation. After he left, I walked up to the table next to us, at which a 5 or 6 year old girl had been seated. I apologized to her parents if anything I had said to the waitress had caused a scene and/or upset them or their daughter. They indicated that they had no idea anything was going on until the manager had approached the table and started his diatribe, which had included loudly repeating four letter words. The manager apperntly spoke with my friend the next day, who assured him that they whole meal was supposed to be paid for, and that she had made that expressly clear when she had made the arrangements. He indicated that he would comp us the meal, but that he refused to refund them the cost of the champagne. Not only that, but when we returned from the honeymoon, I checked my credit card statement. The manager had refunded the price of the dinner to me, but did not refund us the price of the tip! Instead of refunding our entire bill, he actually calculated the new amount so that we would be left paying the gratuity for this "service"! Again, I have never in my life been so offended at the way I was treated in a restaurant. I certainly would adivse as strongly as possible that you never attempt to give a gift through the Beach House Restaurant. And I warn you that, in the unlikely event that something during your meal results in your interacting with the General Manager at the resaurant, you run the risk of being ridiculed and embarrassed.
DATE: 2004-09-13
FOODRATING : 6
SERVICERATING : 2
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 2