Maui Brewing Co. – Maui, Hawaii

If you’re in west Maui looking for a place to grab a beer and some food, one option is Maui Brewing Co., just a few minutes north of Kapalua-West Maui Airport. The pub itself is unassuming in appearance, located in relatively quiet Kahana Gateway Shopping Center. When you walk in, there’s a big open floor with wooden tables and chairs and a few booths, and a bar at the back. What’s special about this place is the beer selection. They have over 20 types of beer on tap and many of them have a unique twist. I prefer wheat beer, so I tried a pint of the Mana Wheat with Maui Gold Pineapple ($5.) Those of you who are fans of wheat beer know that a slice of orange can really improve a wheat beer, but with the hint of pineapple in the Mana Wheat, I didn’t miss an orange slice at all. It was fizzier than most other beers I’ve had, but I liked it.

The food menu offers the usual items you would expect at a pub, along with a few of their own unique creations (Beer Battered Brie, and Adult Mac and Cheese are a couple that caught my eye). They also offer a kids menu, and vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. Entrées average at about $16. We ordered a Field Green salad ($6) to share and for our main courses; the Cuban sandwich ($13) and the Seafood Burger ($14.) The salad was a regular salad – lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, croutons, and your choice of dressing.

I thought the Cuban sandwich was good, I liked that it was served on a grain roll, instead of a white bun. It was a good size came and came stuffed with pulled pork, ham, Swiss cheese and big sliced pickle – how can you go wrong? It was served on a beer grain hoagie with a side of fries. The fries were double fried, so they were extra crispy and delicious. Their ketchup and mustard is their own concoction. The waitress explained it to us when she brought our food, but it was too loud to hear her full explanation. The pineapple creole mustard was good, similar to honey mustard, but I wasn’t too keen on the ketchup. My boyfriend’s Seafood Burger was a Panko-breaded fish and shrimp patty with miso coleslaw on a beer grain roll. The great thing about being on an island is the seafood. There was no skimping on the shrimp or fish in this burger. You get a hearty seafood patty. The miso coleslaw added a good fresh crunch to the burger. We were too full for dessert, but they do have a few desserts available ($6-$8).

Overall, I was satisfied with my experience. Go there expecting pub food and good beer selection, and you’ll leave there satisfied. Maui Brewing Co. is open 7 days a week, 11 a.m. to midnight, so if you’re looking for a place to eat later in the day, it’s definitely a good option considering that many places in Maui close early. Plus they have happy hour from 3-6 p.m. and 9:30- midnight.

After going there I learned that Maui Brewing Co. puts a big focus on community and sustainability. They support local farmers of Maui by using their produce in their menu, and donate the spent beer grain from their brewing process to local farmers for feed and compost. All profits from recycled cans and bottles and half the profits from every sale of their Beer Battered Onion Rings are donated to the Maui Humane Society. While it doesn’t have anything to do with food, I still thought it was deserving of a mention.

Visit their website: http://www.mauibrewingco.com/mbc/MBCHome.html

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