Maui: Honolua Store

Located right next to the Kapalua Villas Reception Center, is the Honolua Store. As I walked to check in, something clicked, and I turned and took another look. And yes, it was the Honolua Store that I remembered, though when I last saw it, it was on a dirt road, and green washed. Now it's right up the street from the Ritz Carlton! Times sure have changed.

In fact, I remember the reception center as well, it used to be the Post Office. You see, my Mother was born and raised in Honolua Town. The last time I was in the area was circa 1969, by the early seventies my Grandparents had moved out of the area, but I have some really fond distinct memories of the area. How much of it is based on a child's view of the world, I'm not quite sure, but they are some really nice memories.

For this trip, the Honolua Store is probably the only place to get reasonably priced "grindz".

Yes, you can get breakfast for under five bucks...on Maui!!!! The service at breakfast can be rather surly, much of it due to "tourist burnout". But most items are located precooked hot table items, and your eggs, and other items are cooked up fresh to complete the breakfast.

The are also "quick" items, ala' convenience store, that are available.

As you can see, there are items for both the locals, as well as guests of the Ritz. Manapua and English Muffin Sandwich, anyone?

As to what I ordered......of course it had to be....

A Loco Moco($4.75) of course. It was pretty good, the eggs(2) were done a nice easy over, the gravy had nice flavor, though the hamburger patties were bland and "mushy".

In reality, this could have tasted like garbage and I still might have enjoyed it. There's nothing like sitting on an empty beach, and having some good grindz.....

This is Oneloa Beach(aka Ironwood), at 730 in the morning. Not a place to swim(the Missus still tried...sigh), but a pretty nice to have a peaceful quiet breakfast. Which is what I did while the Missus was collecting strawberries on Her knees(I warned Her...). It was the second beach of the day.

Every morning, still caught in the web of Pacific Standard Time, we'd be up at 5 or 530 am, and end up hitting Kapalua Beach by 6am, where the Missus would get Her morning swim in the calm protected bay, and I'd do some light running or go snorkeling.

Kapalua Beach is alot smaller than it seems in the photos, and the small parking lot can be rather hard to find. You need to look for the large Napili Lani sign, and the parking lot is right before the sign, right past a fire hydrant. Usually we'd just be leaving as a few people would start arriving.

Honolua Store
502 Office Road
Lahaina, HI 96761

Tomorrow, I'll be back in San Diego, before a "return" to Maui......

Comments

[elmomonster]

I am soooo looking forward to going to Hawaii next week. I hope the sights are as beautiful as you've shown them to be.

[Green Turtle]

Wow! Loco Moco for under $5, wish there was a place here in SD for that price. I tried Mrs. Rice based on Cathy's blog while you were gone, had a $1 off coupon, their plate lunch had 1 scoop of rice and 1 scoop of mac salad and the main dish being your choice of either BBQ beef or chicken. They even have Korean sliced beef short ribs, but personally, I prefer going to Zion and getting them premarinated then grilling them up at home. Unfortunately, Zion raised their prices up to $3.49/lb when it used to be $2.99/lb.

[Chubbypanda]

Mmm... Loco moco. I have yet to try a really good one, but I have "hiiiiiigh hopes".

- Chubbypanda

[Pam]

hey kirk! actually, we stayed up in ka'anapali for most of our trip. on our 1st day at the resort (which was the morning after the wedding and we were dead tired) we decided to stay on the resort and the beach for the morning & afternoon which meant that we ate breakfast at the hotel. yeah, how do you say "forty dollars for a crappy omelette & pancakes"? i guess that's the price you pay for relaxation; but i would definitely rather have gone up there instead!

[Kirk]

Hi Elmo - I'm sure you'll have a blast, and we'll all read about it!

Hi GT - I like Zion when the ribs are going for like $1.99-$2.25/lb, and make my own marinade....though the premarinated stuff isn't too bad.

Hi CP - I have yet to find a "perfect" loco moco. It would seem to be so simple......

Hi Pam - We actually snorkled around Black Rock - never realized that they made it so difficult to find public parking in Ka'anapali...no wonder the locals get PO'd. We lucked out one afternoon, and on another morning we waited until the tiny(10 stalls) public lot opened at 7am. I have a severe aversion to tourist traps.....that comes from being born and raised there.

[Jack]

I had a feeling you would do this post.You can sniff out all the good ones! I too had the loco moco and thought the same as you.

Last year we stayed a couple of nights at the Hyatt in Kaanapali for a family reunion and I made it a point to have breakfast here every morning. Nothing like deep fried spam in the morning! Couldn't get that in hotel hell. There is something about standing in line next to local police officers, golf course workers, and other local types that makes me feel at home. Other than in Wailuku, I don't get that feelling anywhere else on Maui...and Maui is one of my favorites.

[Kirk]

Hi Jack - It was good to see that there was a place that the locals could afford to eat at. Actually, if I had my choice, I mighta' stayed on Wailuku, but I don't think that would have worked!

[Jack]

I hear ya. It's the reason we stay in Wailea when we are in Maui :)

[Kirk]

Ha, I might've camped out in Sam Sato's Parking Lot...bummers that they were on vacation and closed during the week we were there.

[Jack]

Bummer, of all weeks! That is definitely a must-do whenever we visit.

[Diane]

do you know where i can find pre cooked san francisco roast duck? I would like to take it from maui to vegas.