Ulupalakua Ranch Store & Grill

Visited today with friends Dan, Kiela and my bride Tara. Enjoyed local Elk and beef burgers that were wonderful — grilled on the outdoor grille. Bill our cook & server was fantastic helping provide important and interesting facts about the Maui Cattle Co and the area… This is a must!
Mahalo and Aloha — tomorrow its homeward bound…

We wanted to remember this cool place so we bought a t-​shirt. Must stop by for a great hamburger (lots of other options too) all made fresh by the chef that has the most amazing view ever. You won’t be disappointed.

Ate here for lunch after winery. Had Lamb Burger and the Kona Gravy Venison. Both were superb and tasty. Would eat here again

First of all, we came for the winery. it was okay. We saw this cute ranch/​deli and decided why not. It was pretty good. I had the lunch plate with rice, macaroni salad and te kalua pork. The pork was good. Their homemade sauce was good, but their macaroni salad was the bomb. (no one says this anymore). The owner is a sweet guy who is willing to answer all your questions. A good stop in the middle of no where. :)

Stopped in for lunch after visiting the winery across the street and seeing all the good Unilocal reviews. This is a really cute country store way up in the Maui mountains. We ordered the kalbi rib plate lunch and the Kalua pork sandwich.
There are picnic tables on the left side of the store that have incredible ocean views. The kalua pork sandwiches were excellent. Moist, tender smoked kalua pig on a soft torta roll that was super fresh. The kalbi ribs were very flavorful but unfortunately some were quite fatty and a little too thick for our taste. We have had kalbi many times and these had much more fat than we are used to. The first one in the photo was an exception. The grilled pineapple on top was a nice touch!
This is a great choice for lunch or to grab some snacks and drinks while up at the winery or visiting the many other stops upcountry.

If you want a really interesting burger (elk, lamb or grass-​fed Maui Cattle Co. beef), straight from the ranch, in a casual (picnic table) setting, this might be the place. Great atmosphere. Interesting menu options if somewhat limited. It will be a bit pricey and kinda small, but gourmet food in a fabulous setting. Taro burger for the vegetarian at your table. Fresh food, fresh air, a great Upcountry experience and right across the road from Maui’s winery. While the store is open from 9 – 5:30, unless you’re doing an early dinner, the meal they serve is lunch.

We really enjoy coming here for lunch every time we visit Maui! This last trip we had the Elk and Lamb burgers and they were AMAZING! The ingredients were fresh and delicious! And the Chef is always so nice!

Hoping they would serve more Vegan/​Organic meals. Was surprised for Maui, that they didn’t have a menu of organic meals! But they did have one item, a veggie burger of sorts that was delicious, but no substitute for the bread bun? Not even a lettuce or cabbage wrap? But very friendly people serving and helping accommodate our diet. My friend has cancer, and we are both on an organic diet, so a little disappointed that they didn’t have an organic/​vegan/​veggie menu! But really liked the country and western atmosphere though!

We ALWAYS stop at the ranch. It’s beautiful, the staff is always so nice and the food is delicious. I usually pick up some touristy goodies and tea to take home. Make sure you go after 10am when the wine room is open. Great wine and history in the wine building. Stop at the ranch!

Their LAMB BURGER was THE BEST!!! My favorite lamb dish was a gyro, but now, uhhhhhh all I want is a LAMB BURGER from here!!! Excellent job chef Will!

If you are traveling around upcountry in Maui, particularly in the Haleakala crater area, I highly recommend trying this place out. After a long day of driving and especially if you were hiking what better way to treat yourself than with a delicious elk burger! This farm raises the elk and up with the highest standards of farm raising there is. The burgers themselves were delicious. Lean meat with a ton of flavor, throw on some sautéed onions and you’re golden. You order at the back of a general store them pick out some other stuff. The guy taking our order was super friendly. Several benches along the side– We went around 230 so there was plenty of seating but I could see this place getting pretty popular at peak times.

This place is right across the street from the only Maui winery on the island. After taking a tour of the winery, we headed on over to this place to order up some fresh grilled meat.
This place is so far out of the way after winding up the island that it almost amazed me how busy it got.
Chef Will was on the grill and he grilled our elk burger to perfection. We ordered it straight up, nothing special. Chef will recommended that we eat the burger without any sauces to weigh it down so that we could really taste the meat. Boy that was some good advice; this burger is delicious on its own. We took a side of bbq sauce and dipped some of the edges in it just to get a taste, but it certainly didn’t need anything.
We chatted with Chef Will a bit about the land and the animals they raise there. It was great getting that bit of history.
We decided to go back up our last day because it was such a great experience. Chef Will was ordering while someone else was on the grill. This time we ordered the elk and the venison per Chef Will’s recommendation, seeing how it’s not illegal to sell Deer meat in Hawaii. Unfortunately our meats were a bit more over cooked than we prefer. Chef Will came out to say hi and delivered us some fresh Portuguese soup he was making for the next day. They weren’t even serving it that day but he wanted us to try it. That was awesome and it was delicious. He asked us about our burgers and we told him the truth. He had cooked the first one to perfection so we were disappointed but it was delicious non the less. He then treated us to a Lamb burger, which we greatly appreciated. The Greek cream cheese sauce that goes with it is ON point.
You won’t be disappointed eating here if you appreciate gamey meats. The elk, aside from the beef is the least gamey. You have to try it! It’s delicious!
We chatted with Will a bit before we left. It was so nice making a connection and getting to know him. He makes an effort to make sure everyone is take care of and enjoys their meals.
Even the store is cool to browse. Everyone is so friendly and I even bought an awesome Hawaiian children’s book for my kids, which they love!
Bonus, the view is amazing. Go.

After a winding drive to the Maui Winery and a tasting tour, our stomachs were calling for food! As you walk in the door, you almost forget you are in Hawaii for a second with all the farm and ranch themed merchandise. But the food and hospitality are very Hawaiian. Everyone working her was so friendly!
They raise their own livestock so the meat is as fresh as it gets. The elk burger was highly recommended by the folks at the winery so I had to give it a try. And when I finally took that first bite, there was no disappointment! The elk patty was so juicy yet leaner than beef. And while dining out in Hawaii is no cheap affair, the food here is priced moderately for such high quality.
After spending the day in the Maui Upcountry and visiting so many great attractions, I think the area is often overlooked by most visitors. But maybe that’s ok to keep a few things a little bit secretive :)

Definitely worth the drive! This place is so neat! Gourmet style local dishes, this is a kalbi rib plate with mac salad. Great place to eat after wine tasting across the street.

So delicious. The shop itself is an overpriced tourist trap, but you absolutely must have a burger here! There is plenty of picnic table seating outside– either on the lawn or on the breezy porch.
The potato wedges were boring… I would have liked them to be tossed in an interesting seasoning. They were served with chimmichurri mayo. Elk burger and lamb burger were both delish. Opted to add grilled pineapple. Yum!
No alcohol is allowed on the ranch. Fine by me, but heads up if you’re looking for a beer.

We had the cattle burgers and they were melt in your mouth good! We ate our burgers outside and then we went to the winery next store.
This is a fun little store with unique things inside like coconut peanutbutter and other cowboy themed treats.
I know a lot of people finish up their road to Hana trip here by taking the long way around but you can also approach this place from the other direction (taking Piilani Highway south from Pukalani) and it’s a much easier drive — just a bit windy!

We got a burger and elk burger. I ordered the burger medium but it came a little more cooked. With avocado on top it was delicious. Could not tell a big difference with the elk burger but it was still good. They were both very large and I wish we split just one!
Very cute location and store. Everyone was very friendly

This is across the street from the winery. The restrooms are also located at the winery.
We tried the elk burger with teriyaki and onions. The meet was excellent and leaner than beef. We also had a hot dog– the bun was perfectly grilled.
They also sell Herbert’s Lemonade

I just remember running around this place looking for someone to smack in the face… cuz the burgers were just that damn good.
We ordered one each, and then got another, and then had to literally force ourselves from eating another because we weren’t even there to eat! We were supposed to be sightseeing and hiking in the area.
This place is a little off the beaten path so it might be a stretch to get here. But it’s well worth it. Just make sure yo’ mama ain’t around when you eat it. She might get popped after your first bite…

My favorite burgers ever! Elk, axis deer, lamb, local beef. All the best anywhere!
This is one place I always visit when in Maui! That’s how good it is.

Yum! A hidden gem that you might not notice if you were just driving by. We were recommend this place by the winery across the street. We decided to try it out because we were all hungry. Four of us ordered a burger with cheese. The burgers were cooked to perfection and came with lettuce, tomato, onions and a side of pickles. The meat was tender and very flavorful! All of the animals are raised on the property for the restaurant.
The other two people on my group ordered the pork sandwich. It was also delicious, but there was quite a bit of grease dripping from the pork. They said it was so delicious that it didn’t matter.
Inside the store was a variety of drinks and chips to make the perfect meal. We purchased a large bag of chips and a few sodas.
I will definitely have lunch at this place before heading across the street to the winery.

Four stars for the food and service. An additional star for the view and climate. This store belongs to the Ulupalakua Ranch that owns a Pineapple winery which is a must visit.
We were starving by the time we were done with the wine tasting at Pineapple winery and the only closest food place was this. You just walk right across the parking lot. I had their grass fed Elk burger and it was finger-​licking-​good! They also make grass fed deer burger. The Elks and deers are raised and slaughtered at the ranch, so it’s fresh meat! They also sell many native items in their store that is worth being a souvenir.