Ruby’s

This be-bop diner at Queen Kaahumanu Mall is the go-to place for kids of all ages. The big burgers wrapped in paper so they don’t spill, the thick milkshakes, the reasonably good fries and onion rings, and the clean, red-boothed restaurant bring in crowds from open to close. If it’s your birthday, don’t tell them unless you’re ready for a crew to come out and sing to you their own special song. (You will also get a free sundae, no matter what your age is.)

Other items on the menu include pretty good dinners like fresh-roasted (in-house) turkey dinner and fish and chips. The sauces and salsas and gravies are made in house, too. Salads are commercial, but crisp, and the appetizers are large and can serve as entrées.

The servers are efficient and attentive, and we often leave happy to have dined in a well-run restaurant. On weekends there is often someone wandering the tables, creating balloon animals to order. Ask for a monkey climbing a palm tree, the surfer, or the mermaid. Ruby’s is a good, inexpensive choice for a quick meal at any time of day. Check with the info desk at the mall for coupons offering 25% off your entire meal.

Address: 275 W. Kaahumanu Ave., Kahului, Central Maui
Location: Queen Kaahumanu Center

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Hours: M-Th 7:30am-9pm; F-Su 7:30am-10pm
Parking: Lot
Phone: 808-248-7829
Website: www.rubys.com