Stella Blues Cafe
Stella Blues serves American comfort food in a fading Grateful Dead-inspired restaurant. The large, noisy rooms, outdoor seating, pool tables, and commodious concrete bar keep its fans coming back, and back, and back.
Sadly, the heart seems to have gone out of this formerly fabulous, friendly restaurant. We used to look forward to coconut shrimp that were perfectly prepared (crunchy and sweet outside, tender inside). We loved their baby back ribs with a fruity barbecue sauce. The roasted chicken with mashed potatoes, creamed corn, and wilted spinach was one of our favorite meals. We even liked their tofu stir fries and curries.
Sometimes the magic is still there, but a lassitude has crept into the kitchen that makes the food inconsistent. One visit will be wonderful, the next awful. The service is still efficient and unobtrusive and friendly, but there’s something off for us and the high prices (which have crept up over the years) are now off-putting compared to what’s on the plate, no matter how big the portions remain. Breakfast is a little perkier, but not much.
Address: 1279 S. Kihei Rd., Kihei, South Maui
Location: Azeka Mauka Marketplace
Meals: Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner
Hours: Daily 7:30am-10pm
Parking: Lot
Phone: 808-874-3779
Website: www.stellablues.com
July 13, 2009 @ 4:48 am
Stella Blues is one of my favorite places to have breakfast on the island. My being a flat-lander (from Ohio) MUST eat fresh seafood each and every meal. And Stella’s has the best fish omelet around. I hear they have great BBQ Ribs. I wouldn’t know, must have fresh fish at Stella’s. Go there, you won’t be disappointed.