Hard Rock Maui

Notes...

My first Hard Rock Cafe experience was fairly uneventful. I was in Maui with friends and we needed a place to eat. After walking along Front Street in Lahaina, there was the Hard Rock Cafe at the end, beckoning us to enter, so we did. I had never heard of the chain before, but the music, laid-back atmosphere, great service, and good food had me hooked instantly. On subsequent Maui trips the Hard Rock Cafe became a traditional stop, and I started buying pins and T-shirts to commemorate each visit. Little did I know where this would lead!

While the property’s exterior is fairly reserved and boring, it fits nicely into its surroundings and has plenty of screened windows so diners can enjoy the beautiful Maui weather while they eat. The interior, however, is 100% Hard Rock. From the outside you can’t tell that there’s a A-frame roof inside, which is kind of a surprise. This cafe features wide open spaces, classic wood fixtures and plenty of memorabilia (including a surfer wall). The bar is situated in the center of the restaurant and has a beautiful wood-paneled convertible propped above it. The merch shop is right at the entrance, but is roped to facilitate traffic flow (I wish more Hard Rocks would do this).

I have never had a bad experience here in the over half-dozen times I’ve visited. Before the menus were all standardized, you could get an order of Maui Onion Rings made with the island’s freshly-cut signature sweet onions, but I can’t tell if they do that anymore or are just using frozen.

Overall, I cannot recommend the Hard Rock Cafe Maui highly enough. Probably in part to the “no worries” attitude that permeates the island, this is one of the most laid-back, relaxing, and enjoyable restaurants in the entire chain.

Location Map...