Overview
Moose McGillycuddy’s - Kihei is a casual pub-and-cafe style restaurant and bar on South Kihei Road in Kīhei, with a long-running presence in Maui and a clearly established identity as a sports-bar-meets-island-casual hangout. Google’s listing describes it as a relaxed place with a lanai and ocean views, and the menu and review patterns support that it is aimed at travelers who want a lively, unfussy meal with drinks, not a quiet, fine-dining experience. (restaurantji.com)
For a visitor, the appeal is mostly about the combination of view, happy-hour value, broad menu, and a social atmosphere that works for groups, casual dinners, and game-day stops. It appears to be one of those places where the setting and the energy are as much of the draw as any single signature dish. (restaurantji.com)
Cuisine & Specialties
This is broad American pub fare with Maui-friendly additions: burgers, wings, nachos, quesadillas, fish and chips, mahi mahi plates, kalua pig, loco moco, tacos, bowls, salads, and a vegan/vegetarian section. The menu is built for variety and for mixed groups, with enough familiar bar food to satisfy most travelers and enough Hawaiian-leaning plates to keep it locally relevant. (mauihawaii.org)
A few items stand out from the menu and review patterns: Coconut Shrimp, Coconut Shrimp & Chips, Mahi Mahi Fish & Chips, Mahi Mahi Macadamia, Loco Moco, Kalua Pig Plate, the Big Kahuna Burger, and the Chocolate Moose dessert. The official delivery menu also shows plant-based options such as Beyond Steak n Cheese, Vegan Bratwurst, Beyond Burger, Beyond Steak Tacos, and Beyond Steak Quesadilla, which gives it more vegetarian flexibility than many old-school pubs. (hoppermaui.com)
- Overall menu style: casual American pub food with burgers, seafood, tacos, sandwiches, and Hawaiian-style comfort plates. (mauihawaii.org)
- Notable dishes / specialties: Coconut Shrimp & Chips; Mahi Mahi Fish & Chips; Mahi Mahi Macadamia; Loco Moco; Kalua Pig Plate; Big Kahuna Burger; Chocolate Moose; Churros To-Go. (hoppermaui.com)
- Drinks / bar angle: happy-hour cocktails, draft beer, wine, and cocktails are a recurring part of the place’s appeal; multiple sources describe it as a bar-heavy stop with strong happy-hour traffic. (mauihappyhours.net)
- Price expectations: Google marks it as a moderate-price place, but the menu shows many entrees in the mid-$20s and seafood platters around $30+, so travelers should expect a casual sit-down bill rather than cheap snack pricing. (restaurantji.com)
- Dietary usefulness / limitations: there is a meaningful vegetarian/vegan section, but the core menu is still heavily centered on fried items, meat, dairy, and seafood; it looks workable for mixed groups, less ideal for stricter dietary needs unless ordering carefully. (hoppermaui.com)
Notable Features & Ambiance
The place reads as a lively, casual hangout with a view, especially attractive at sunset and during happy hour. Reviewers repeatedly mention a busy, welcoming atmosphere, sports on the TVs, and a setting that works as much for drinks and socializing as for dinner. (restaurantji.com)
- Service model and seating style: full-service restaurant and bar; takeout is available, and the restaurant appears to be primarily walk-in oriented. Restaurantji says it “doesn’t accept reservations,” though it also shows a reserve button on the page, so that point should be treated as somewhat uncertain. (bbb.org)
- Atmosphere and decor: casual pub vibe, sports-bar energy, lanai/ocean-view setting, and a social, noisy, high-traffic feel rather than a quiet dining room. Secondary descriptions mention Irish-pub styling and numerous TVs. (restaurantji.com)
- Practical features: happy hour is a major draw; sports viewing is prominent; online ordering exists through a delivery platform; multiple sources indicate a beach-adjacent South Kihei Road location with easy access from the corridor. (mauihappyhours.net)
- Best fit: sunset drinks, casual dinner, game watching, group meals, and travelers who want a lively, unfussy stop with broad menu coverage. (restaurantji.com)
- Weaker fit: travelers seeking a quiet meal, highly polished service, or a chef-driven destination restaurant may find it too noisy, busy, or bar-centric. This is an inference from the repeated sports-bar and happy-hour framing. (restaurantji.com)
History & Background
Moose McGillycuddy’s is an established Maui brand rather than a new standalone restaurant. The BBB profile lists the business start date as 1980 and identifies the Kīhei unit as part of a three-location Moose McGillycuddy’s group, with George E. Watson listed as owner of the LLC; Hopper’s ordering page says the concept was established in 1980 in downtown Waikiki. A Maui-focused travel site also states that the Kīhei location opened in 2006 and notes that the Lahaina location later closed. (bbb.org)
That history suggests a long-running local chain with strong brand continuity, but the exact founding narrative is a little messy across sources because different pages emphasize different dates and locations. The safest takeaway is that this is an old, recognizable Hawaii pub concept with a Kīhei outpost that has been around for years, not a recent startup. (bbb.org)
Review Sentiment Snapshot
What People Love
Review patterns are consistently positive about the view, the sunset-friendly setting, the lively atmosphere, and the happy hour. People also repeatedly mention friendly staff, generous portions, and a menu that works well for casual comfort-food cravings. The overall public rating is strong, and positive reviews often frame it as a fun place to end a Maui day. (restaurantji.com)
Common Gripes
The main downside signal is crowding: several sources say it can get busy, and the bar-heavy, sports-heavy atmosphere may be too noisy for some visitors. Beyond that, the negative evidence is fairly light in the sources reviewed; there is not a strong recurring complaint pattern about food quality, though the place is clearly more about fun, volume, and value than refinement. (restaurantji.com)
Practical Visitor Tips
- Google Places currently shows daily hours of 11:00 AM–10:00 PM, while Hopper’s ordering page shows 11:30 AM–8:30 PM most days and an earlier Tuesday close at 4:00 PM; treat hours as worth rechecking close to your visit. (bbb.org)
- If you want a better chance at seating with a view or a game-day table, go earlier rather than later; multiple sources note crowding and heavy traffic during popular times. (restaurantji.com)
- Happy hour is a major reason people come here, so if you care about value or atmosphere, that is probably the strongest window to target. (mauihappyhours.net)
- Expect a casual full-service meal, not a short stop; menu prices suggest a normal sit-down bill, especially if you order seafood, drinks, or a full entrée. (hoppermaui.com)
- The location is on South Kihei Road with ocean-view positioning; it is a practical stop for people staying in Kīhei or moving along South Maui rather than a destination requiring a detour. (bbb.org)
- Takeout is available, and online ordering exists, which makes it a reasonable fallback if the dining room is busy. (restaurantji.com)
Verification Notes
- Official identity anchor remains Moose McGillycuddy’s - Kihei, 2511 S Kihei Rd, Kihei, HI 96753, (808) 891-8600, website
https://moosemcgillycuddyskihei.com/. (bbb.org) - Google marks the business OPERATIONAL and shows a strong review base; no closure signal appeared in the sources checked. (bbb.org)
- Hours are the main drift risk: Google, Restaurantji, and Hopper do not fully agree on daily timing, so treat the listed schedule as needing a same-day check. (bbb.org)
- There is a mild history mismatch on founding/opening dates across sources, but it does not create a location identity conflict. (bbb.org)
Sources
- Google Places record for Moose McGillycuddy’s - Kihei —
https://maps.google.com/?cid=16590275126430351102— retrieved 2026-03-31. Most useful for the baseline identity anchor, operational status, rating, category, address, and Google’s own hours/photo metadata. - Restaurantji listing for Moose McGillycuddy’s - Kihei —
https://www.restaurantji.com/hi/kihei/moose-mcgillycuddys-kihei-/— retrieved 2026-03-31. Useful for traveler-facing summary signals: menu categories, popular items, crowding notes, takeout, reservation posture, and corroborating hours. - Hopper Maui ordering page for Moose McGillyCuddy’s —
https://www.hoppermaui.com/order/restaurant/moose-mcgillycuddys--menu/19307— retrieved 2026-03-31. Useful for concrete menu items, menu structure, price points, and the concept’s origin note; also shows online ordering and its posted hours. - Maui Hawaii restaurant page for Moose McGillycuddy’s Kihei —
https://www.mauihawaii.org/restaurants/moose-mcgillycuddys/— retrieved 2026-03-31. Useful for background context, the Kīhei location address/phone, and the note that the Lahaina location closed in 2014. - Maui Happy Hours article on Moose McGillycuddy’s Kihei —
https://mauihappyhours.net/2025/07/17/moose-mcgillycuddys-maui-happy-hour/— retrieved 2026-03-31. Useful for atmosphere and recurring use patterns: sunset/view appeal, happy-hour emphasis, sports-bar orientation, and commonly mentioned dishes. Some background claims here are treated as secondary-source context rather than hard identity facts. - BBB business profile for Moose McGillycuddy’s Pub & Cafe —
https://www.bbb.org/us/hi/lahaina/profile/restaurants/moose-mcgillycuddys-pub-cafe-1296-4002— retrieved 2026-03-31. Useful for business structure clues, ownership, multiple locations, and long-running business history.
