Trip Reports - Longhis on Maul - BAD, BAD, BAD

This is supposed to be one of the nicest restaurants on Maui. There really isn't much positive I can say about this restaurant. The food was average to poor and the service was extremely poor. Five of us were seated at a table that in most restaurants would seat 2. We were so close to the table beside us that we couldn't "scoot" our chairs back without bumping the person behind us. The staff all dressed in whatever appeared to tickle their fancy. This was the most expensive meal we ate on the trip so our expectations were set above average. The restaurant has no menus, our waitress recited the 30 some entrees they were featuring that night. Can you remember 30 different things? They also don't provide prices, rather she gives you a range in which most of their meals place. This wasn't that bad, but definitely different than I typically experience. Our waitress took our drink order, completely ignoring my daughter. She actually walked away without getting my daughter's request. It took several minutes before I could get her attention and get something for my daughter. When she returned to take our meal order she was fairly aloof. We asked if they had children's items and she seemed annoyed that we would ask. We asked if they had mashed potatos and she seemed offended we think that any potatoes would even be on site. "Not gonna happen" are the words she used to inform us on our request for potatoes. Not only the words, but her whole attitude while she was waiting on us was very poor. Our food was no better. I had shrimp and scallops and they palled when compared to what I had at Kobe the week before. Very ordinary food. My wife got something that turned her stomach and didn't eat more than 2 bites. My father in law ordered a filet mignon that was butterflied that was tough and burnt. It was so tough that he ate only about half of it. I changed plates with my wife allowing her to eat my shrimp and I attempted to eat her entree. The waitress noticed the change and inquired. I informed her my wife didn't like her meal. She replied "Oh, well it's my favorite dish," and casually went about her business. Towards the end of the meal the waitress inquired about our food. My father in law indicated he didn't care for his. He wasn't expecting anything from her. If he would have wanted a different steak he would have flagged her down earlier in the meal. Her reply to him was, "Well you should have told me sooner, now you have eaten more than half of it there is nothing I can do." In a tone that accused him of trying to pull something over on her. Well he was in no mood for that line or that tone. He discussed the steak with her for several minutes beofre becoming increasingly provoked and finally asked her to send a message to the manager. I won't repeat the message here. Again what is interesting is he never intended her to do anything about the steak, except acknowledge his dissatisfaction. She never did. She also never did anything about my wife's meal. The manager did come to the table. The message from my father in law received. It was not a very friendly message and the manager did not receive it well. He came to the table with a complete lack of composure. He had been insulted and would have nothing to do with any of us at the table after he came and spoke his peace. He left indicating the waitress would be back with the check. She didn't. We waited several minutes before getting up, finding the waitress, and asking for our check. She then tried to justify the whole experience. This was one of the two worst meals I have had in my life. While there were a couple of good things; the bread was good and the other staff was friendly, my advice would be don't go. Save some money and eat at Ruth's Chris up the street.

FT Dining?

I went to have lunch at the Wailea location on Saturday 1/4/03.

The hostess said I can give you a table but its going to be a long wait.

"I only have three servers working today."

I said forget it and went over to the Tommy Bahama Cafe and had a great meal.

I feel for you. I have heard sooooo many bad things about this place that although we go to Maui quite frequently (spent 3 months there total last year) we have never once eaten there. A couple in the condo next to ours last summer had breakfast there and were astonished when their bill for a waffle and 2 eggs and bacon exceeded $40. I do not understand how this place stays in business. They don't even have that great a view, especially on the first floor.

Sorry if this is not directly relevant to the restaurant being discussed, but I thought I would comment.

Maui, to me, has become the cliche of travel destinations, and the travel industry offerings there have become pretty much a poor value for the money. The island was perhaps once quite attractive and an "exotic" destination, but on my recent trips there, it seems to be overrun with people just making the obligatory stops on the tourist circuit. In particular, it has become the cliche destination for newlyweds.

Hotels are quite overpriced although the service is generally good at the large chains. But it does not surprise me that restaurants with prices at the top end have service that is at the bottom end. It is just a natural fact of what happens when a tourist destination sees so much traffic, regardless of their level of service.

We first ate at Longhi's probably 17 years ago. The food was wonderful and it was always packed. We ate there many more times through the years and enjoyed it. We stopped eating there a few years ago though when it began to appear they became a victim of their own success - waiters with an attitude, mediocre food, etc. They still get the outstanding reviews, but I don't know why. If you want good food in Maui, go to the Hailemaile General Store in Hailemaile.

As for the general comment on Maui, there's lots to love about the island if you get off the beaten track.

We had three dinners in one week at the Wailea restuarant, and they were very good. Service was excellent.

Well I am sorry you had a bad time at Longi's
on your vacation.I have had many meals at this restaurant and spend several months a year on Maui and am also a restaurant owner.
I offer the following information.
If you did not like the seats when you first sat down you should have asked for a bigger table the seating upstairs is not as crouded as downstairs. The no menu thing well that is something only they can get away with and I don't know for how much longer,I have noticed there is a set menu in place at their new restaurant in Wailea.
The server problem well I think you could find this at any restaurant, now Maui has it's own problem with servers enjoying to much MAUI WOWI before coming to work I have endured many a meal with a stoned server.
If you think Ruth Chris is that much better think again I have walked from that place due to a nasty server.
Now you may think I am sticking up for the place well just so you won't think I have never had a bad experience here I have and after complaining about recieved dinner for two the next time we were in.
I think also they once were a very good restaurant and now just an institution where people have gone for many years and just keep coming back but I think it is less each year.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by PETEFLYS:
Well I am sorry you had a bad time at Longi's
on your vacation.I have had many meals at this restaurant and spend several months a year on Maui and am also a restaurant owner.
I offer the following information.
If you did not like the seats when you first sat down you should have asked for a bigger table the seating upstairs is not as crouded as downstairs. The no menu thing well that is something only they can get away with and I don't know for how much longer,I have noticed there is a set menu in place at their new restaurant in Wailea.
The server problem well I think you could find this at any restaurant, now Maui has it's own problem with servers enjoying to much MAUI WOWI before coming to work I have endured many a meal with a stoned server.
If you think Ruth Chris is that much better think again I have walked from that place due to a nasty server.
Now you may think I am sticking up for the place well just so you won't think I have never had a bad experience here I have and after complaining about it recieved dinner for two the next time we were in.
I think also they once were a very good restaurant and now just an institution where people have gone for many years and just keep coming back but I think it is less each year. </font>

I too, have heard nothing but bad things about this place. In fact, the local radio station where I live did a remote in Maui a couple of years ago. They had the same type of experience you did. When they returned they releated their story to all of their listners and even went so far as called them every day in Maui to tell them how displeased they were with them.

Sure I could have asked to have a different table, I could have asked to have a different waitress. I could have probably done several things differently, but should I have to?

I went to Maui in 2001 to get engaged. When we ventured beyond the choices at the Four Seasons, we were consistantly disappointed at the service, food quality and sky high prices. Prices were high at the Four Seasons, but one would expect that and the high prices came with the commensurate service. You don't expect an Outback Steakhouse to be expensive.

The assumption seemed to be that everyone is on a some kind of bus trip, not local or not coming back anyway (that part is correct for most places we visited), rich, stupid, and lucky to get a table at all.

It really tainted an otherwise excellent trip. Are other HI islands like this? I'd love to explore some more.

[This message has been edited by TransCon1 (edited 01-08-2003).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by TransCon1:
Are other HI islands like this? I'd love to explore some more.
</font>

My wife and I were on the Big Island this past summer and the answer, from our point of view, is: it depends on what you're after. We stayed for a week at the Orchid for the conference I was attending. While the hotel was very luxurious, it's just not our style. Even on expense, I find it very hard to pay $50 each for lunch, and there were really no decent alternatives nearby. Even with a car we had to go a long way to find good food. Don't even get me started on the "Luau". Even the snorkeling, which was nice, paled once we had a taste of the real thing (see below).

We spent the following week in a slow counterclockwise trip around the island with a quick detour to Mauna Kea in the center. Outside of the Kona resort areas, the Big Island was fabulous. We stayed at cheap hotels and motels for the most part where the owners were very friendly and happy to share the local highlights with us. We hiked through some of the most beautiful and unusual terrain we've ever seen and swam at some of the best beaches. A couple of nights camping in Volcano National Park, all by ourselves with a great view of an active volcano (from a safe distance) was heaven. Sunrise at South Point was one of the most beautiful I've experienced. Snorkeling in Captain Cook was like swimming in an aquarium. The food was reasonable although not spectacular but the scenery, outside of the resort areas, was absolutely worth the time.

There are lots of places I still want to visit, but I can't wait to head back to Hawaii. Just keep me out of the resorts!

Michael

Yeah, Longhi's has gone down the tube, but (like PETEFLYS) I too had a really bad experience at Ruth's Chris (both quality of food and quality of service) and will never eat in one those again as a result.

There are plenty of other excellent eating places on Maui, and on Big Island too.

WhoMe: I tend to travel in Hawaii much like you do. Although I do like the Kea Lani on Maui, on the Big Island, where we are usually 2x a year, we stay at a terrific B&B. It's a 7000-square-foot home with just six or seven rooms. Comes complete with ocean views, private pool and spa, free use of all beach equipment, fabulous breakfasts and a large pupu platter in the evening that can easily substitute for dinner. We hike, we find secluded beaches away from resorts and we've come to know the really fabulous restaurants. Most of the resorts are just too sterile for me. So no, Transcon1, your experience doesn't have to be like you described. It just takes a little bit of effort to find what you're looking for.

[This message has been edited by letiole (edited 01-08-2003).]