"Bev Gannon's 1988 plantation-store dining room upcountry, home of the Sashimi Napoleon — drive up for a relaxed Maui celebration."
Hali'imaile General Store sits in the pineapple country above Pa'ia and Makawao, a twenty-minute climb from the Maui coast. It is one of the few upcountry rooms in our Maui dining guide worth a dedicated drive, and its fish cooking holds up in any account of the best seafood restaurants worldwide. For the way we judge a long-running room like this, see the seven signs of a great restaurant.
Bev Gannon is a cornerstone of modern Hawaiian cooking, one of the twelve chefs who launched the Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement in 1991 and a James Beard-nominated name who built a small Maui group that also includes Gannon's. Hali'imaile General Store, her first restaurant, opened in 1988 inside a former plantation store and general shop dating to the 1920s. The cooking is what Gannon calls gourmet comfort food: Sashimi Napoleon to start, then dishes like macadamia-nut-crusted fresh catch, a roasted Meyer lemon half-chicken with bacon and shallots, and a rib-eye for the table. Most dinner entrees land between $30 and $40, with appetizers from about $10 to $16, which keeps a serious kitchen within reach of a family dinner. The fish is local and changes with the catch; the produce comes from upcountry farms minutes away. Gannon's Sashimi Napoleon is well-travelled, and she once shared the recipe with Giada De Laurentiis on the Food Network, but it is best eaten here, at 900 Haliimaile Road, where it has anchored the menu for more than three decades.
The room keeps the bones of the old plantation store: high ceilings, wood floors, local art on the walls, and a wide, easygoing dining room rather than a hushed one. Sound sits at a comfortable hum, busier on weekends. Lighting is warm and low at dinner. Tables are generously spaced, with banquettes and a bar area, so a group of six fits without crowding. There is no dress code; aloha-casual is the norm, and you will see shorts beside resort-smart. The dining room seats well over a hundred across the main space and the bar. Service is warm and unhurried.
Book Hali'imaile for an anniversary or a low-key celebration for three reasons: the upcountry setting feels like a destination without the resort price, the room is comfortable and quiet enough to talk, and the menu suits a long, relaxed dinner. A typical scene: a couple drives up from Wailea at sunset, splits the Sashimi Napoleon, shares the fresh catch and a rib-eye, and lingers over dessert with no one rushing the table. It also works well for a family birthday. It is less suited to a quick bite near the beach.
Not for anyone wanting to stay near the beach: Hali'imaile is a twenty-minute drive up into pineapple country, so plan it as the whole evening, not a quick stop.
Yes, both for the cooking and the setting. Bev Gannon's Hali'imaile General Store has anchored upcountry Maui dining since 1988, and the Sashimi Napoleon alone justifies the drive. Dinner entrees at $30 to $40 are fair for a kitchen of this pedigree on an island where beachfront rooms charge far more. You are paying for one of Hawaii Regional Cuisine's founding kitchens, not a view, and it delivers.
Not very, but reserve ahead in peak season. Hali'imaile takes bookings on OpenTable and by phone, and the dining room is large, so midweek tables are usually available a day or two out. Weekend and holiday dinners fill faster, especially around sunset, so book a week ahead in summer and over the December holidays. Lunch is the easiest service to walk into.
There is no dress code. Hali'imaile is an upcountry plantation-store dining room, so aloha-casual is exactly right: a collared shirt or a sundress is plenty for dinner, and shorts are common at lunch. No jacket is needed. The room is comfortable rather than formal, and you will feel at home in resort-casual clothes after a day on the island.
Plan on roughly $50 to $80 per person at dinner before drinks. Appetizers run about $10 to $16, most entrees $30 to $40, with the rib-eye higher and pasta or salmon a little lower. Cocktails and Hawaii wine add up. Lunch is cheaper, with entrees from about $14. For the quality and the founding place it holds in island cooking, it is reasonable value.
Start with the Sashimi Napoleon, the dish Bev Gannon is known for, then choose the macadamia-nut-crusted fresh catch or the day's local fish. The Meyer lemon half-chicken and the rib-eye are reliable for the table. Save room for dessert. For more upcountry and coastal options, see our Maui dining guide.
Book on OpenTable or by phone at (808) 572-2666. Midweek tables are usually easy; reserve a week ahead for weekend and holiday dinners.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Gannon's upcountry kitchen makes the list on the strength of its Sashimi Napoleon and ever-changing local catch.
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