Overview
Bully’s Burgers is a small, rural upcountry Maui burger stop on Piʻilani Highway in the Ulupalakua/Kanaio area. It is best understood as a destination burger shack tied to cattle ranching rather than a conventional town restaurant: visitors are going out of their way for grass-fed beef, a very limited open-day schedule, and a setting that feels far removed from the resort corridor. Google currently lists it as operational at 15-900 Piilani Hwy, Kula, with a Saturday-only schedule, and that general identity is consistent with recent traveler and local coverage. (tripadvisor.com)
For a traveler, the appeal is the combination of local beef provenance, open-air ranch scenery, and “worth the drive” positioning. The main risk is also obvious: this is a remote, limited-hours stop, so it is not a casual “we’ll swing by anytime” restaurant. There are also some older or conflicting references in the wider web to the broader Ulupalakua ranch area, so the exact operating details should be checked before planning around it. (honolulumagazine.com)
Cuisine & Specialties
This place is focused on burgers first and foremost, with a strong ranch-to-table story behind the beef. The best-supported picture is simple: all-beef burgers made from cattle raised on Triple L Ranch / the broader Ulupalakua ranch landscape, served in a very casual outdoor setting. Secondary reporting and traveler descriptions also mention veggie options, a pay-it-forward burger section, and occasional specialty burgers such as mushroom Swiss. (honolulumagazine.com)
- Overall menu style: burger shack / casual grill, centered on all-beef burgers with a few add-ons and some lighter or alternative options; this is not a broad menu restaurant. (honolulumagazine.com)
- Notable items supported by sources: mushroom Swiss burger, cheeseburger, bacon cheeseburger, BBQ-style burger, teriyaki burger, veggie versions, and a pay-it-forward burger option for donation meals. (honolulumagazine.com)
- Drinks / desserts / extras: one secondary source mentions mango shave ice and a frappuccino-like drink; another mentions house-made chips as a side. These are less firmly established than the burgers themselves, but they fit the casual stop format. (bullys-burgers.menufyy.com)
- Price expectations: traveler reports place cheeseburgers around the mid-teens, which suggests a moderate-to-upper casual spend for a roadside burger stop rather than budget fast food. Because menu pricing drifts, treat this as an estimate rather than a fixed fact. (bullys-burgers.menufyy.com)
- Dietary usefulness / limitations: the strongest evidence is for beef burgers, with some veggie options noted. Gluten sensitivity is mentioned positively in one traveler review, but that is anecdotal, not a formal gluten-free claim. If strict dietary needs matter, this is a limited-menu, remote stop and should be verified in advance. (bullys-burgers.menufyy.com)
Notable Features & Ambiance
The experience is much more about place than polish. Bully’s is described by multiple sources as a tiny open-air stand on ranch land, with outdoor seating and big views over the countryside/ocean side of the island. It reads like a deliberate upcountry stop rather than a sit-down restaurant you’d linger in for service and décor. (honolulumagazine.com)
- Service model and seating: counter-style, self-serve or near-self-serve ordering; outdoor seating only or overwhelmingly outdoor, with picnic-table-like seating reported by secondary sources. One local description even notes saddle-style seating. (honolulumagazine.com)
- Atmosphere and decor: rustic, ranchy, very informal, and scenic. The setting is part of the draw: cows, open land, and views rather than indoor dining or curated design. (honolulumagazine.com)
- Practical features: traveler coverage notes free off-street parking and dog-friendly features on Tripadvisor, though those details should be treated as platform-level traveler inputs rather than a formal amenity list. (tripadvisor.com)
- Best fit: a lunch stop or road-trip meal, especially for visitors doing the upcountry / backroad / Road to Hana-adjacent drive who want a distinctive, local-feeling burger break. (honolulumagazine.com)
- Weaker fit: anyone needing reliable daily hours, a broad menu, indoor comfort, a reservation flow, or a place that can absorb a spontaneous detour without risk. (honolulumagazine.com)
History & Background
The strongest background signal is that Bully’s is tied to Triple L Ranch, a family operation founded by Louis De Ponte Sr. in 1950 and still run by the family, according to local magazine coverage. That ranch lineage is central to the restaurant’s identity: the burgers are presented as an extension of the cattle operation rather than a separate brand concept. (honolulumagazine.com)
There is not much sign of a standalone chef story or a complex expansion narrative here. The meaningful context is the ranch itself, the family ownership, and the fact that the food is being framed as part of Maui’s ranching heritage. That is more important to understand than a typical restaurant origin story. (honolulumagazine.com)
Review Sentiment Snapshot
What People Love
Travelers repeatedly praise the burgers themselves, especially the sense that the beef is fresh, local, and tied directly to the ranch. View quality comes up almost as often as the food: people describe the stop as scenic, atmospheric, and worth the drive for anyone already heading upcountry or out toward the backside of Haleakalā. Friendly service and the novelty of the setting also appear as recurring positives. (tripadvisor.com)
Common Gripes
The main downside is operational rather than culinary: the place is remote, has limited hours, and is easy to miss or arrive at when closed. That complaint appears in both recent traveler reviews and local coverage, so it is well supported. The menu is also narrow by design, which is a strength for some visitors but a limitation for groups wanting variety. (tripadvisor.com)
Practical Visitor Tips
- Hours posture: Google currently shows a very limited schedule, with Saturday listed as the only open day. A 2025 traveler review also reported a closure surprise and warned others to call ahead. Because this seems to drift, verify before leaving. (tripadvisor.com)
- Walk-in expectations: this appears to be a walk-up, casual stop rather than a reservation restaurant. (honolulumagazine.com)
- Plan the drive: it is far enough off the usual resort circuit that travelers commonly describe it as a deliberate detour or “worth the drive” destination. (honolulumagazine.com)
- Best timing: going earlier in the open window is safer if you want to avoid sellouts or uncertainty around limited operating days. That is an inference from the limited-hours pattern, not a formally stated rule. (tripadvisor.com)
- What to expect on arrival: simple outdoor seating, a rustic ranch setting, and a short menu focused on burgers rather than a full-service meal. (honolulumagazine.com)
- Good fit for: burger-focused travelers, upcountry road-trippers, and visitors who want a highly local, scenery-driven meal stop. (honolulumagazine.com)
Verification Notes
- Google Places anchor: Bully’s Burgers, 15-900 Piilani Hwy, Kula, HI 96790, (808) 633-6776, website
https://www.bullysburgersmauistore.com/, status OPERATIONAL. (tripadvisor.com) - Hours conflict / drift risk: Google lists Saturday only, while a 2025 local article and Tripadvisor content both indicate that hours have been a recurring issue and may change with road conditions or closures. (tripadvisor.com)
- Name/location language varies in some sources between Kula, Kanaio, and the broader Ulupalakua / back side of Haleakalā area; this appears to be geographic shorthand rather than a true identity conflict. (honolulumagazine.com)
Sources
- Google Places details for Bully’s Burgers —
https://maps.google.com/?cid=12820276434901742434— retrieved 2026-03-31. Most useful for the baseline identity anchor: official name, address, phone, website, operational status, current hours, rating, and the editor’s summary. - Honolulu Magazine, “Insider’s Guide to Eating Local on Maui” —
https://www.honolulumagazine.com/kakoo-maui-eat-local-maui/— retrieved 2026-04-01. Most useful for background on the ranch ownership, limited stand-like setup, pay-it-forward note, and recent operating-hours context. - Ulupalakua Ranch official site —
https://ulupalakuaranch.com/— retrieved 2026-04-01. Most useful as contextual evidence for the ranching environment, family history, and the broader Ulupalakua ranch identity that helps distinguish Bully’s from nearby ranch-store food options. - The Guide by Tab Travel / Bullys Burgers page —
https://theguide.tab.travel/lplpx/bullys-burgers/— retrieved 2026-04-01. Most useful for the self-described menu lane, ranch provenance, and the claim that veggie versions and open-air seating are part of the experience. This is supportive but secondary. - Tripadvisor listing for Bullys Burgers —
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60633-d23187825-Reviews-Bullys_Burgers-Kula_Maui_Hawaii.html— retrieved 2026-04-01. Most useful for recurring traveler sentiment: praise for burgers and views, along with the strongest downside signal about being closed or hard to catch open.
