Sure this is touristy and sometimes slightly hokey...but the talent/skills of the ensemble at the Royla Lahaina Lu'au is undeniable. Â
The drinks were weak and sugary (unless you get beer) but it was plentiful as was the food. Â The kid's table with hot dogs and mac and cheese was a pleasant surprise. Â Some of the other "adult" dishes were good...I'm even wondering if their version of poi is truly authentic because I didn't mind it so much this time! Â
There wasn't much table service for us though our neighbors were regularly asked if they needed anything else to drink. Â (Did they pay extra??)
The setting was lovely (on the beach) and some of the dance numbers were poignant and beautiful. Â One dancer who stood out to me ended up being the mother of one of the other dancers! Â
Definitely something you need to do at least once even if it seems like a tourist trap. Â Just stay away from the souvenirs (we did buy our photo) and cuddle up to the dancers afterwards!
For first timers this an excellent way to know a bit more of the past. In general in all these types of Luau's you have to take in consideration that's is a commercially and profitability driven product, so to expect the world out of 1 hour show its unfair.
The best louau's one could attend and witness would be one hosted by a local family in one of the islands, the rest it's what we American's think its the real thing, the larger the better, the more the merrier... The closest I have gotten to experienced it, is in eastern island
Honestly, the local buffet at home had better food. The purple yams were interesting, something new to try. Chocolate cake was moist but the coconut pudding was not right. The steak, according to my carnivore mate, was pretty good but the chicken and pork was average. He spit out some type of mandarin salad-violently rejected. Vegetarian options were limited, the highlights were fried rice and stir fry noodles (add soy sauce, salt and pepper). Most drinks were unlimited but came with 80% ice unless made to order. There was no id check. Some guy went through the line as we waited to enter and asked if we might get a cocktail after entering. A yes earned you a smiley face stamp on your left wrist, which meant nothing once you entered. It wad family style seating at banquet tables filling an outdoor area near the water. It felt like we were at a wedding reception as distant friends of the family. Many of the performances felt like a school play or low-budget community event...and then there was Fire...The absolute best part of the entire experience. The fire performer dropped his flaming baton twice but that didn't take away from the wonderful performance. Find a discount because full price is definitely not worth it...Unimpressive Food, Banquet Seating, Great Fire Dance.
Review Source:Make sure you reserve tickets and not just show up. It was a great show, very interactive and the musicians were amazing. Locale and time of the Luau made it perfect for some great ocean front sunset photos. The food was pretty good and its a great atmosphere for kids. We recommend going this luau in you're on Maui.
Review Source:Excellent show! But not for $80 dollars a person for a period of less than 3 hours. Food was good. Open bar was nice. It went by so quick we didn't get dessert. They turned off most of the lights after dinner. It would be nice if they had at least one light on or lights running down on the walk way.
Review Source:After having booked our luau I read the Yelp reviews and was very anxious because of the mixed reviews. It was wonderful. The show was very entertaining and well done. Very professional from start to finish. Worth the price of admission alone! The food was fine overall. I could nit pick over a few food items but that would be silly. The folks who worked the event were helpful and friendly. Every seat is good and being in the front doesn't seem to make a huge difference.
I am not going 5 star on this because I expected we would all receive a lei. We eventually surmised that was part of a more expensive package that I had no information about.
A good time for the evening for the whole family.
Two thumbs up!
I went to this Luau almost 2 weeks ago and I wasn't a huge fan. I have been to two other Luau's in the past on Oahu and those were great, this one didn't even compare. They take your picture when you first walk in and give you the option after the show to buy it. After that you check in at the desk where they assign seating for you. They have a host standing there after to put a shell lei on you then walk you over to grab a Mai Tai or a Blue Hawaiian and then take you to your table. Our table was good, no complaints... I don't think there was a bad seat in the place. I noticed there were servers going to each table asking if they needed anything such as drinks but not once did anyone ever come to ours. We asked a gentleman if we could move to the end of our table so we could sit across from each other and be away from the crowd. He ended up being the manager and bumped us up the table in front of us which was even closer, which was cool. After being seated you can feel free to walk around, explore, shop, or take photos. They have a host who comes on stage that starts talking about the process and she was actually pretty funny throughout the whole night. Before the show starts they have each table one by one go get food. The food was not good!! It was an open style buffet so it was all you can eat, which we didn't even want to eat. It was so bland, it taste like cafeteria food. I stuck to the kids mac and cheese and desert. The show was okay, I have seen better. I was just really disappointed that we paid $75 per ticket for a luau which was all you can eat and drink and it wasn't even good. Drinks were watered down unless you bought the $10 tiki mug on top of everything. I asked a lady where the restroom was 3 times before she even acknowledge me and when she did she just pointed. When she pointed it was over to another desk, which I had to ask them and someone else had to help me. Obviously I need to go and I'm asking where it is for a reason, don't point assuming I know where to go... There wasn't even a sign! I wouldn't recommend this Luau.
Review Source:Figured I had to go to a Luau if I was going to be in Hawaii for my first time. I don't care how much money I spend as long as I feel like I get something worth it in return. The $100 a pop I spent for these tickets was definitely far too much. This was worth about $20.
The only thing in the buffet that didn't taste like a cheap family-style all you can eat buffet was the pig, which was actually pretty good. I doubt it was the actual pig we watched them pull out of the ground, however, because when you looked at the volume and the logistics of how long it was served after it was paraded around, that pig probably gets served the next night, along with more mixed in from the regular kitchen cooked pork.
The show was only an hour long and it was basically the same 8 dancers just changing costumes. I stayed two hotels down at the Kaanapali Beach Hotel and we got just as good of a show every night for free next to the pool.
And I'm going to go ahead and put quotation marks around "drinks", which are plenty and all you can drink. Just don't expect any alcohol in them. My goal was to try and get my $100 bucks worth of booze but they were so watered down I couldn't even feel a buzz after 7 or 8 of them. They were seriously so watered down that I didn't even bother trying to keep track of which were "real" and "virgin" drinks away from my recovering alcoholic friend.
Seeing as this was our very first luau ever, we didn't really have any expectations going in.
It turned out to be a fun evening. Â The drinks were definitely watered down, but you could just go to the bar and order something else instead of drinking the pre-made ones.
Food was pretty good... the kalua pork was a bit dry... and I was disappointed that they shredded it and served it as such, instead of having the whole pig there (skin and all) or us to pick from. Â The rest of the courses were ok.
The show, however, was really nice... great dancers and exciting fire dances.
Logistics were smooth and didn't seem rushed or crowded.
Any event like this, you have the "group community" factor, where you sit with other people at your table. Â This can usually make or break your fun. Â Luckily, we sat with some cool folks that helped make the evening fun.
I have to say my expectations were not super high because this wasn't the "Old Lahaina Luau" Needless to say, I was blown away. The food was very good, the meat was moist and plentiful. Good eats Bro! The show was top notch and everyone had a great time. This luau may be a little cheaper, but it doesn't take a back seat to any other. The only negative is the booze was so watered down, you couldn't even taste it. I thought my Blue Hawaiian was a virgin, so I gave it to my daughter. The bartender insisted there was vodka in it and gave me another, which tasted the same. No way was that vodka not watered down. Great time none the less. A+++
Review Source:I'm giving this luau 5 stars because the entertainment was the best of any luau I've been to and I think their ratings should come up!!!! The variety of the dances, and how they showed all kinds of cultures (Hawaiian, Tahitian, Maori, etc) was really cool. They showed this sort of "original" hula, of how it was first done, without music but just with a drum and singing, and it brought tears to my eyes! It was so beautiful. I had to say, I had low expectations because of reviews, but we just wanted to take our daughters to their first luau and we wanted to walk from our hotel. I was SO pleasantly surprised and pleased about a lot of the experience. The dancers were amazing and worked hard. The mai tais were good, and mine were NOT watered down. Â The line when you arrive can look ugly, but moves pretty fast. A dancer seats you (tip them), then you can get up and move around and see the crafts, take photos, get drinks (included in the price.) It's right at the beach, so it's a really nice location. You are seated at really long tables, but it wasn't hard getting in & out. Yes, I was right next to someone I didn't know, but everyone there was on vacation and seemed pretty friendly. Seeing the guys take the pig out of the oven in the ground isn't for the faint of heart. My daughters didn't want to eat any meat after seeing an obvious pig being taken out. But it was YUMMY, sorry ;) The rest of the food was just ok, but there's a lot of variety. A waiter comes around and brings more drinks. Afterwards, the dancers are there to say goodbye and you can take pictures with any of them and talk to them. Overall, I would totally recommend this luau, especially for families. And take note of that beautiful hula with the drum, and also the Maori battle dance. Loved it. Loved the dancers!! Thank you!
Review Source:Being that this was our second trip to
Maui and we had already been to a luau, we heavily debated whether we would go see another. We went to Drums of the Pacific two years ago and weren't really too impressed. Our hotel gave us a good deal on tickets, so we figured what the heck. We were pleasantly surprised that before the show, they had free face-painting for the kids and bracelet making. Once the show started, my son was in complete awe when he realized that the guy who painted his face and escorted us in was the main fire dancer. Needless to say, the show was wonderful and so was the food. If I were to attend another luau during our next trip, we would not hesitate to choose this one again. BTW, hubby says the drinks are NOT watered down. I can attest to this because I had to drive back to the hotel. ;)
My husband and I are not picky eaters, and found this place to be pretty enjoyable. Â With the Atlantis submarine combo, I figured we must have paid about $60-$70 per person for the luau. Â
The show was decent. Â The show hostess was funny, definitely overweight, but have a beautiful singing voice. Â
Buffet food quality is okay. Â Meat choices are beef steak, fish with bread crust, pull pork, and chicken. Â Drink selections are mai tais, blue hawaiian and juices. Â Premium drinks cost $15 and are available at the bar.
The show did have some fine looking male dancers... Â XD
Long line to walk in. Once you are in you can actually go out to the bathroom and comeback in through the same side, no one checks. So basically I spent $100 to go to this lu'au when it could have been for free cause no one checks if you have paid or not. The entertainment was good, the drinks are too watered down and its all ice by the time it gets to you. Â The food is okay. I had a good table and the people sitting next to me were fun. Â Dancers were great but I thinkg that they need to step it up with dessert. If I would have known, I would have just walked in and not paid and had a great time for free.
Review Source:Hawaiian Dancers / Culture: 5 stars
Drinks: Â 2 stars; watered down, not really any alcohol, we're convinced.
Food: 4 stars for the pork and the fried rice, 3 stars for the other stuff. Some mislabeling had me missing some important stuff. Beef was very tough.
Overall, a really nice experience.
Food was HORRIBLE. You're walking around on trashy dirt, eating on  trashy tables, drinking watered down drinks, and crammed in with TRASHY people. Ugh. Thought we were getting a deal with the last-minute luau at the cheaper place - what a let-down. Shoulda paid full-price for the good show, with good food, and higher-class people.
The show was good - the dancing was nice and I enjoyed the fact that they do all different styles of dancing, not just Hawaiin. Although, I have to say the dancers were a little trashy-looking themselves.
Pay the extra and go to the good one.
I had never been to a lu'ua before and since my resort that we were staying at offered us free lu'au tickets, how could we say no? We reserved a lu'au party of about 25 and managed to get seated altogether! Â AWESOME!
There was some confusion in the beginning where you check in. Â Some people registered online, some on the phone and others already purchased their tickets. Â There was a lot of commotion about why some people got the free tiki alcohol cups and why some didn't. Â Just a lot of waiting around and the lady that was working the registration/welcome table was not very welcoming at all. She had such a nasty look on her face. Â Oh well, I was there to have fun so I was not going to let my first impression of the lu'au ruin my night.
When we checked in and got to our table, I was very pleased to see that our party of 25 were all seated together! Â Big signed that said, "Reserved" with our last names under it helped us feel a lot better about their organization! Awesome!
The staff came around with colorful drinks and we tipped them well. Â If you want stronger beverages, go to the bar!
The dinner is buffet style and the staff will call you up by section / table. Â We waited a bit but eventually got to the buffet. Wow, lots of food! Â So much selection that I am sure you will not leave feeling hungry.
AND the great thing was that they also had a kids' buffet for those picky eaters!
Great dancing, music and entertainment. Â I particularly enjoyed the fire show. Â Very intense! Â Great job to the entertainers and staff at Royal Lahaina Lu'au! Job well done.
so we finally went to see a luau))) i was pretty exited!! this show had a decent price, and we decided to give it a try) when we got in, first thing that caught my eye was the amount of tables in there!!! it really seemed like they were trying to get as much people there as <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpossible.it&s=30e70e2f8ff02960a93eae16a9373433893f32cf13cc138d92c6a52492a51f3f" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://possible.it</a> was definitely not enough space per person.and you get to sit with people that you don't know across the table for the whole show(((you eat, they eat,,,its kind of awkward ...you don't know them, but you have to like be with them,and all because they are trying to fit twice as much people...Money!!!!
Overall the show was good))
the food was ok ) if you are vegetarian, there is not a lot of options(((
The show gets 4 stars.
The food gets 2 stars.
When you are standing in line to get in performers come out and distribute Leis and POG (Pineapple, Orange Guava) juice - letting you know the alcohol is waiting inside. Â
For $15 you can upgrade to the VIP - priority seating (guaranteeing you front row seats) and first stab at the buffet. Â Unless you want front row it isn't necessary to do this. Â I don't think that there was a bad seat in the house and it's not like they are going to run out of food. Â I would say don't bother with upgrading - save your money for something else. Â
They make a big production of bringing the pig out of the pit and parading it around so that people can take pictures of it. Â I'm assuming that there are tons of people in the kitchen pulling the pig off the bone to the buffet. Â Prep time to buffet does not = the actual time available. Â The pork, which is what I was looking forward to the most, was dry and sort of cold - didn't taste like it had come right off the pig. Â I've had that before and it's very good - this was not.
First time trying Poi - at best wall paper paste. Â But now I can say that I've had it - it's not good. Â I'm not sure what they do to the poor taro root to get it to taste like that - I'm guessing beat the hell of out and chased all the taste away. Â Taro Chips the exact opposite (my favorite) by the way.
The other food on the buffet was standard buffet type food. Â We thought that the food for the kids looked much better than the adult food.
The drinks were plentiful and the servers did a great job with keeping up the demand. Â
The show was amazing. Â They are equal opportunity eye candy providers - the men had rock hard wash-board abs and the women were beautiful and very graceful. Â There was dancing, tons of costumes, and fire. Â How can you go wrong with fire? Â The MC was outstanding.
This is the only Luau that I've been to so I can't compare it to anything else.
Boo for canceling because of the rain. Boo for canceling even when it's not raining!!
Thursday night they started the luau but cancelled it about 10 mins into the dancing due to rain. First off, the lei is a cheapy shell necklace. Then they escort you into the luau area which is fairly large (probably about 400 people seated). The bar and food bar are all the way at the back, which is annoying if you want to drink a lot.
The food. The food was pretty much the only thing we got to experience at this luau. A massive herd of people stand in line for very subpar food. The Kalua pork was salty and dry. They claim it's from the pork that they just brought up from the Imu but I highly doubt that. How can they debone and shred the pork that quickly after pulling it outta the ground. I didn't try the fish because it looked suspicious but I did try the shoyu chicken and teriyaki beef which were probably the best things they had.
They also has a bunch of sides. The salsa thing which apparently contained salmon (didn't see any) was delicious. So was the pineapple. The rolls were dry. The cold noodle salad and cucumber namasu were pretty good too. I was surprised they didn't have straight white rice. Instead they had some awful resemblance of fried rice and chow mein. Gross.
Well during our dinner it started pouring so they handed out plastic ponchos. Even with the ponchos we were getting soaked. And so was our food. Half of it was barely edible from the rain.
We stood in line to get a "rain check" for the next day. A lot of people were upset but I think tried to schedule it for the next day just like us.
**Next day**
It pour about 15 mins prior to the luau. We were parking our car in the lot as it started to light up. By the time we reached the check in counter, it was cancelled. Not a cloud in the sky!!!! Wth!! The rest of the evening it didn't rain a single drop! It could've totally gone on just fine.
***Side Note*** Â We attended a very annoying and pushy timeshare presentation to get tickets to the luau. We found the booth of this discounted activities place right next to Ululani's Shaved Ice. Due note, if you decided to go with this timeshare presentation in exchange for an activity, it's legit. We were pretty skeptical that they were just going to steal our money and run but no, they didn't. The timeshare presentation was a bunch of crap though. Pushy guys, wasted about 2 hours listening to how our lives will suck and we'll never take any vacays unless we purchase it. In the end, we got a few activities out of it so it didn't bother us. Though I wish we would have gone to the luau then attend the timeshare presentation because the luau got cancelled! Other activities we did on a discounted price were parasailing and helicopter ride.
I usually don't do Luaus while visiting the  islands because they are basically all the same. Well, we decided to go to one only because we had family with us on this trip to Maui.  Luaus can get pretty prices and if you are with a large group... there goes part of your vacation money! Â
The Royal Lahaina Luau was the cheapest one that I could find online at $69.95 ppl and kids eat for free. I yelp it (of course) and found that it had great reviews and was worth giving it a try.  Well, we had a great time! The luau was well organized with friendly people working the place from start to finish.  After waiting in line to get in, we were guided to an area for a  picture perfect photo-shoot.  When we entered the luau area, we were seated right away and soon after we were greeted by a server with a huge tray of drinks (I forgot to mention the luau had an OPEN BAR! (the drinks a little watered down but that was ok... now do you really want to get drunk at a luau???)) So, let's get to the food... Delish-ONO!  All you can eat buffet with all the Hawaiian favorites from kailua pork, teriyaki  steaks, BBQ Maui chicken, fresh fish and with all the Hawaiian side dishes! It was like home-cooking, just they way an old Hawaiian grandma would cook it up... Delish-ONO! I wanted seconds... that's how good it was!
Now for the entertainment, you get what you paid for... it was a good performance, nothing over the top... Enjoyable! If you want spectacular... then go to the Sheraton or the Westin and pay an arm and a leg! For me it was just right ;-)
Overall: Go, enjoy and eat all you can! It's worth the $69.95!
This was legit. Got an awesome last minute deal through expedia expert travel in Lahaina. Paid $62.95 per adult and kids ate for free(both 12 and under). Called the day of and lucky for us they got us in! The food was buffet style and tasted great!The pulled pork tasted like melted, chewy bacon happiness! They also had chicken, fish, steak and a kids buffet. The entertainment took you through different parts of Hawaiian culture and at the end featured fire dancers( not at Old Lahaina). They drinks came and came all night long. My fav was the " blue Hawaiian". I would 100% go to Royal Lahaina again! Price excellent! Show excellent! Service excellent! What more could you ask for?
Mahalo!!
For our first trip to Hawaii, we wanted to go to a luau. Â This was exactly what we expected and I'd definitely recommend going. Â The woman MC was very entertaining and the dancers were talented. Â The food was good -not gourmet - your typical buffet but with traditional Hawaiian fare (I dubbed it the "Royal Pork" because it kind of reminded me of the old Royal Fork buffet chain). Â The drinks were free and better than expected. Â The night went buy really quickly. Â
Make sure to go to a luau - it's a bucket list item.
Unlimited drinks! We decided to go to a luau at our hotel so we wouldn't have to drive home. Mai Tais are pretty strong. Make sure to bring your sunglasses you might have the sung in your eyes.
$67 Â for the buffet. The kaluah pork and the noodles are the way to go. The rice was under flavored and the mahi mahi was over cooked. The chicken was ok but the teriyaki beef was a bit tough. The.kids chicken nuggets were tasty.
As for drinks get the pog ( passion fruit orange guava) with the rum is definitely the way to go.
The show was pretty good. I think what really made it was the female emcee. She was pretty hilarious. Also we think one of the guys dancing in the show is a bellhop here at the hotel!
We have gone to this luau a number of times -- and each time it has been consistent and the show has remained the same, up until the latest time (few weeks ago). Â If you sit and listen to time share presentations you can get these tickets for a discounted price (which is what we did).
Smiley face stamp if you drink, and you can receive unlimited mai tais and blue hawaii's at the bar -- watered down, but what do you expect there's so many people~!
The food is consistently good; steak, mahi mahi, salads, salmon, rolls, poi, kahlua pork, banana pudding, rice, ... lots of other "not so traditional" hawaiian food but very edible for all ages!!! Â There's even a kids' section with chicken nuggets, hot dogs, & mac 'n cheese~
Afterwards, take pictures with the dancers/ performers! Â And you can purchase your photo (which was taken in the beginning with a real life sunset backdrop) at the end of the show.
If it rains, they provide you with your own plastic take-home ponchos. Â
I'd recommend coming to this luau once -- any more times after that is nice, but it gets repetitive.
I came here with a wedding party of about 22. We all booked through Expedia, and somehow we were placed in different categories, and were not placed in the same group. The staff at the Royal Lahaina Luau were amazing though, and they made sure that we were all seated in the same place, and that we were all happy. Even though it was not their fault that we had different tickets, they kept checking in with us to make sure we were happy. They also gave my husband and I a wedding gift!
Of course the show was also amazing! We really enjoyed the MC-hostess. She has one hell of a voice on her, and great stage presence. All things considered, we had an amazing night!! I highly recommend!
Food is amazing..
As much as you want, bruddah! Take it all in. Enjoy the sunset. Enjoy the booty shakin of the ladies or the men in tree like thongs. This place has it all.
Food... amazing. the Steak so tender and the chicken was perfectly cooked as well. Fish was so so, but anything in LARGE quantities I am okay with. Unlimited Mai Tais and punch til you pass out..so watch your limits..esp. in hot weather.
Show...mm the show. Girls were so fine like wine. I took my time, watchin those dimes, dancin in skirts and showing skin..so sublime. The men were ok..the guy actually messed up in the torch twirling and nearly set the place on fire. The girls set me on fire ;)
Definitely suggest this luau..anyone of all ages. I have a niece and a nephew..both enjoyed the show and did not want it to end. The host was hilarious and she also sang a bit.
Also got to take pics of the sunset with fam as well as with the dancers. HOLLA!
Originally, when planning this trip, we did not plan on attending a luau because we found the concept cheesy. However, my future mother in-law absolutely insisted that we could not go to Hawaii and not attend a luau. These are the kinds of things I tend to listen to at this point in my life.
We got a deal on the luau through the activities desk at our hotel. We arrived early, and we ended up at the beginning of what was a huge line. There were definitely several hundred people at this luau, which was more than I expected. The MC was humorous and entertaining. I enjoyed the open bar mai tais, which were strong enough for me! Despite being among the first without the preferred seating to have gotten in... we were the last to go to the buffet to get food. I was barely halfway through my meal before they dimmed the lights to start the show! :(
The dancers were very talented, and featured routines from many different areas of Polynesia. The fire twirling at the end was very intricate, and showed a great deal of talent from the performers. Their hard work definitely showed, and was very entertaining. Not cheesy.
We had a great time!
My husband and I wanted to experience a luau since we both never been so we decided to go ahead and try this one since we were already staying in this hotel.
Show: hilarious! we definitely were very entertained. Our host I forget her name was so funny cracking adult jokes but in appropriate way. It was cool the fire dancers and hula girls. They were really put to work with changing out fits and make up but they did an awesome job. At the end of the show you were able to take pictures Witt the Dancers which was cool, I picked the hottest one lol.
Food: it's all you can eat so you can imagine it wasn't 4 star cuisine but it was still very yummy and we were content.
Open bar: yes it's open bar yes that means its watered down but what ever I still got a little buzzed but I downed a bunch of drinks in 5 min. Lol
All in all we had a great time and it's certainly an experience everyone visiting Hawaii should have.
I may be a bit biased in the fact that I have never been to a Luau before and there for have no expectations.
I came with a group of 20 people so we had a whole table to ourselves which was nice. There were A LOT of people!
Waiters come by with a tray and serve you drinks and I have to agree with another reviewer, I couldn't even TASTE the alcohol in my Mai Tai...
They have the thing pretty well organized for as many people they pack in there.
DISCLAIMER: I am a picky eater.
When it came to the food, I thought it was decent for mass buffet food goes. Not everyone thought the same though I later found out after. I really have no complaints which is weird cuz I am such a picky eater.
The entertainment I thought was awesome! I feel bad for the dancers because they had to do so many costume changes. I thought they had like 2 sets of dancers only to realize mid-way that it was the same people. Super crazy! My favorite of course was the fire dancing at the end. Very impressive!
All in all - it was good family fun! And I am glad that I went!
I bought a Atlantis Submarine/ luau package deal. After a great time with the submarine we were ready for a great show and dinner. We waited in a long line and took a picture overlooking the ocean. They have two stages one big one and one by the ocean. The stage was made to look like there was two huts. But the backdrop looked a little broken down. We were seated far away from the smaller stage so when they were performing I couldn't really see it. But we were close to the bar and buffet.
They had a few guys walking around serving drinks. I got the blue alcoholic drink (not sure what it was). After four of them I wasn't even tipsy. Pretty sure there was no alcohol in it. The food was pretty good and the lines went by very quickly. Although the buffet felt like I was in the cafeteria at school. They had overly used lunch trays with 4 sections to place your food. The cloth napkins were also pretty raggedy.
The host was very entertaining and did a great job. The music for the most part was live and the performers were very good.
Parking is and extra $5 which kind of sucks after paying so much for your tickets to get in! But I guess that's Hawaii.
I'm not sure how other Luau are in Maui, but I wouldn't suggest going to this one. I think for the amount they make a night the quality of utensils, stage, and drinks should be better.
This was probably on the cheaper end as far as luaus go. Â If you are in Maui for the first time and just want to say you went to a luau, it's worth the ~$65-70. Â However, don't expect to have a mind blowing experience.
My one tip: don't purchase the "VIP" tickets like we did. Â The VIP package supposedly allows you to (1) cut the long line in the beginning; (2) get stage-front seating; and (3) get first dibs on the dinner buffet. Â In reality... (1) nobody cuts the entrance line because there's absolutely no point in doing so other than to draw glares from the rest of the crowd--once you get inside there is nothing to do except twiddle your thumbs and wait for everyone else to be seated; (2) stage-front seating isn't a big deal because there aren't a whole lot of seats and the stage is HUGE, so as a VIP you are closer by a negligible difference; (3) they apparently forgot we were VIP--or EVERYBODY that night was VIP, because about a hundred people got good before we did... either way, there was little if any benefit to being VIP.
The show was good, the first 3/4 of the act was a bit repetitive and no all that impressive. Â The last bit with the fire knife dancing was VERY impressive and a thrill to watch and talk about afterward. Â I'd say that bit alone was worth the money we paid, although I have heard that some other nearby luaus put on an even more dazzling show.
All in all, this was a pleasant experience. Â Again, if you are looking to impress someone or really treat yourself, and willing to spend the money to do so, then check out another luau. Â However, if, like me, you just want to say you attended a luau, this might be the one for you--espcially if you are staying at the Royal Lahaina and don't want to deal with driving after 3 or 4 or 9 mai tais :P
Because of the yelp reviews we went.
It was really fun. The food was good, the show was hilarious and exciting.
It was worth the money that we paid. We paid extra for the VIP seating so we didn't have to wait in line.
TOTALLY worth it. The fire show was awesome and we took everyone's advice and drank beer vs drinking those blue drinks they were strolling around with.
If you want a drink faster than when they come around with them on a tray, you can go directly to the bar.
We would totally go again.
We selected this luau because of the value (according to the reviews) and the fact that it was next door to our hotel. We walked over and avoided the parking. Also, we purchased our tickets through Hawaii <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FDiscount.com&s=9bf7644cb241436cc1f3bc4254940dde9eb618ec067a7d3b6fae722279da83b1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://Discount.com</a> several weeks in advance (for $139 for 2 adults). While we were in Maui, I noticed an even better deal in an ad for the Local Expedia Expert, located in Lahaina.This might be worth looking into. Also, the kids were free (ages 6 and 2).
The wait was a bit long, considering the show started after six and the check in was at 5:30. Â The preshow consisted of music and some Hawaiian explanations from the MC-- he was quite amusing. The included drinks included were mai tais, blue hawaiians, and lavas. They seemed fine to us, but then again we are not heavy drinkers. They offer additional drinks for $15, which come with a soulveneer mug.
Dinner was served at 6:45. The lines were not too back because there were 6. Our kids liked the hot dogs and chicken nuggets - you can't really go wrong there. I did see some adults sneak some of the kids food on their plate. I especially liked the pork (cooked since 6am) and the baked mahi mahi. My husband thought the chicken was the best.
We purchased the photo just because we really liked the way it turned out - it's rare to get a good one of the four of us. The show ended close to 8:30 and it was pretty good, in my opinion. I can only compare it to one other luau in Oahu that had  arts and crafts available (such as making your own flower headpieces and such) and additional Hawaiian ceremonies...Here, the sold leis and other soulveneers.
Have fun!
Originally, we all were set on attending the Old Lahaina Luau on Front Street in Lahaina. It turned out to be booked for the next two weeks. We went on Yelp to find an alternative. The 3 star rating made us nervous, but others in my party wanted to be a part of all the cheesiness that is associated with luaus. To our surprise, the Royal Lahaina Luau turned out to be a fun night!
The food was great! Besides the normal kalua pork, they served macaroni and various salads, mahi mahi, teriyaki chicken, beef tenderloin and fried rice. For dessert they served various cakes. This was an all you can eat buffet and many retuned for seconds.
The show was also well choreographed. You get the normal hula dancing and fire dance. The host for the night was uber cheesy but it was all expected!
There was an open bar with budweiser on tap and mixed drinks. Your best bet is with the beer. The Mai tai's are more like juice. Hardly any alcohol in them! They also prepare blended alcoholic beverages but those cost extra.
No fresh flower lei's here. Unfortunately, you get more pooka shells. You can buy the fresh flower lei's at the entrance. They are actually well made and smell great! $16 each!!
Overall...4 stars for the awesome food and good show! I would definitely recommend for first time luau attendees.
OMG. Â Did I really go to a luau? Â Yes, I did and I'm here to tell the sad tale of the RLL.
Picture about 400 people herded into a dirt floored corral, seated at plastic tables in plastic chairs. Â Add all you can drink Hawaiian drinks that are very watered down, an all you can eat Hawaiian buffet that was pretty decent and certainly a great variety with lots of vegetarian options and some cheesy music (most if it recorded), mc's and dancers and you have the RLL. Â Most of the folks who worked there looks pretty unhappy, as some other Yelpers mentioned. Â
The various performances were pretty fantastical and kind of crude (dude, stop thrusting out your groin - ugh). Â Since when do hula dancers grind their hips and wear feathers on their ass?
Oh, constant upselling - leis, "crafts", picture-taking, etc. etc. Â I will say the MC was pretty funny and had a beautiful voice. Â
I don't think I'm cut out for any more luaus.
Being that this is the second lu'au I've been to, I'm glad I have something to compare it to. Â Though it was my first time in Maui, my first lu'au was the Paradise Cove Lu'au in Oahu (which was GREAT). Â Therefore, I feel a little more confident in saying this one was ... eh, okay. Â But really, if you've been to one lu'au, it's like you've been to them all.
The Royal Lahaina Lu'au takes place at the Royal Lahaina resort (duh). Â If you drive yourself be prepared to pay $3 for parking. Arrive a little early and expect a line - but it might be worth it (if you don't pay for VIP seating) because they almost seat you on a first come basis. Â While waiting in line, they have a few vendors outside (like 3 or 4) selling trinkets, leis, etc. Â On your way in, you pose for a picture (sold for $20) before being seated. Â They time the lu'au perfectly with sunset, so you'll be able to take some great shots of the gorgeous view. Â They have a pretty good MC who leads you through the whole night - from the description of the pig cooking, to the buffet, to the entertainment. Â
The food is okay - nothing fantastic, but they do have a really good variety. Â They have tons to choose from - salad, corn, fried rice, chow mein, teriyaki chicken, teriyaki steak, pulled pork, even pulled turkey! They also have a small buffet catered to kids foods - chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, hot dogs, etc. So needless to say, you won't go hungry. Â They call you for the buffet by table, and give you plenty of time to eat before the show.
They also have an open bar pretty much throughout the night. Â When they first seat you, they have waiters coming out with trays of drinks - mai tais, blue hawaiians, beer, and non-alcoholic drinks (pineapple juice and pog). Â Sometimes it takes a while for the waiters to come with the drinks so you can also go to the bar directly (I think I saw people getting different drinks from the bar, but I have no clue if they had to pay for it or not). Â The drinks were... okay ... as you would assume, pretty weak since they were serving such a large crowd. When they come by, you should try to get two to hold you over until the next time.
The entertainment was pretty good though, with the typical hula dancers (male and female) and fire show. Â They utilize two stages for variety. Â
All in all, the show was okay, but now that I've been to two lu'aus, I think I'm done with them.
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