Looking for any compliments/criticism of the Old Lahaina Luau. Is it worth the $$ or just another cheesy hawaiian show? What are the seating arrangements like and how is the food???

My husband and I thought it was a little cheesy. The food is ok. You are seated at long tables with many honeymooners and retirees. The Luau begins when they lift the pig out of the Imu. (Sp?) The sight of it was very unappetizing to us. Needless to say, we didn't have any of that pig. Save your money and eat some where great.

Although you're interested in the Old
Lahaina Luau, I might suggest The Feast
at Lele which is a bit more expensive
than the Old Lahaina Luau, but very gourmet. First of all, it's much smaller and you can sit at your own private table as opposed to at long-style tables, and it's a five-course
dinner of exotic foods. Very good.
My husband and I enjoyed it immensely,
and if you prefer the large crowd type of
luau, then Old Lahaina will suit you fine, but if you enjoy a more leisurely
experience, the The Feast at Lele is for you. What I liked about it was that
the performers arrived by canoe, as you're right near the water, and they celebrated the dances of Fiji, New Zealand, and various Polynesian places.
Different from all the other luaus that
I've been to. I remember that they
gave us unlimited cocktails of our choice, and it's located at 505 Front Street. It's near the restaurant called
Pacific-O which is supposed to be really
good food. Kind of a low-key luau.
I think it was $89 p.p., buy we got
plenty of food, and plenty of alcohol
drinks with that, and a terrific show
too! And also, they serve you, as mentioned before (5 course dinner), whereas I believe the Old Lahaina Luau
is buffet-style.

Most people consider the Old Lahaina Luau the best luau on Maui and I agree.There is a lot of info on this forum about Maui's luaus why not take advantage of a search??

Charlie,
Thanks! I read everything and was looking for some personal opinions.

OK, my personal opinion is Old Lahaina Luau and heres why.We were in Maui Sept.99 for 2 weeks,we stayed on Kaanapali beach and in visiting various hotels were able to observe a few Luaus.We had purchased and reserved our seating at Old Lahaina Luau a month before we arrived in Maui and had front row/table seats(table for 8).I can tell you,having observed the other luaus,compared to Old Lahaina they aren't in the same league.Old Lahaina's music,dance and presentation are far above the others.On the other hand the Feast of Lele is presented by the same company that runs Old Lahaina Luau and is also wonderful.My thoughts are if its ones first visit to Hawaii I'd choose Old Lahaina because it more Luau'ish and on my second trip it would be the Feast of Lele.....Whatever you choose have a great trip!!!

My mom and I went to the Old Lahaina Luau last October. The grounds are beautiful and the performances were entertaining, but the food was not that good at all, in my opinion. We enjoyed the show, and the service was very good (as were the drinks which were included in the price). It was a festive atmosphere in a very pretty location right by the ocean. But I would not go for the food, and having done it once, I probably would not go again. It was entertaining to do it once though.

My husband and I were extremely impressed with Old Lahaina and plan to go again this May. The grounds are so beautiful, the drinks are plentiful, the show is professional and Broadway-like quality and performance. There is a wide variety of food served buffet style....fresh and well prepared. The imu pig is delicious (barbequed pig). We recommended it to friends who just went in January, and they raved about it as well. If you want a real Hawaiian luau experience, it's the best on Maui in my opinion....I've seen the Marriott's, but it just doesn't compare.

I went to the luau a few years back and was also not impressed by the food, especially considering the price ( although the show was very enjoyable and the people very nice).

We went to the Old Lahaina Luau in October for our honeymoon. I would recommend it to anyone but I probably wouldn't go back unless I had lots of money to blow. It's fun, not cheesy. Go early for better parking, drinks and talking to people.

I went in September of 2000 and I really enjoyed it. I thought the food was very good; I was expecting it to be not so good because it was buffet-style. There was a large variety and I think it depends on which items were selected; the pig was excellent. I sat in the front on mats and found the show fun. Of course, I like dance shows of all types. I don't think it would be as nice sitting farther back at a table.

The seating is terrible. We pre-booked several months in advance and were seated at the end of a long table (8 people)-- couldn't see a thing without standing up. Show was quite boring and after standing through most of the show we left early. Wouldn't recommend.

I've been to the Old Lahaina Luau twice - the most recent being about a month ago. I've also been to the Marriott & Sheritan luaus. The food is basically the same at all of them. Old Lahaina is definitely more authentic. The others more commercial. You won't see a fire dancer at Old Lahaina because it's not authencic. You will also not be chosen from the audience to come on stage & make a fool of yourself!

A group of 5 of us in our late 20's went last year and had a good time. We reserved online and had a great table, we were seated with 3 others. I wouldn't recommend the traditional seating since it is a long time to sit on the ground. The food was good, especially the pig, and it's open bar.