Review #1015
2026-085…read more
Food Order:
Back Home Sampler (Lahaina fried chicken, kalua lumpia, wontons, grilled beef stix, Filipino lumpia, spam musubi)
Hawaiian Nachos (wonton chips, Portuguese sausage, jack & cheddar cheese, tomatoes, green onions)
Beef Stew Curry (rice)
Fish & Chips (macaroni salad, french fries)
Kaibi Short Ribs Entree (macaroni salad, ramen cabbage salad, & rice)
Kalua Pork (macaroni salad, ramen cabbage salad, & rice)
Keiki Meal (Lahaina fried chicken, french fries, lemonade, ice cream sundae)
Lahaina Fried Chicken Entree (macaroni salad, ramen cabbage salad, & rice)
Lahaina Wrap (Lahaina fried chicken, ramen cabbage salad, Back Home special sauce, spinach tortilla) with Fries
Lau Lau (macaroni salad, ramen cabbage salad, & rice)
Saimen Noodles with Spam (kamaboko, egg slivers, green onions)
Spam Musubi
Haupia Cheesecake
Jello Cheesecake
Hawaiian Iced Tea
Long overdue review...
I've been coming to Back Home in Lahaina in the early 2000s since I started working in the South Bay. With our frequent visits, we were given loyalty stamp cards that earned 3 free rewards after reaching a designated tier: beverage, appetizer, & entrée (usually redeem the Lahaina Fried Chicken Entree) or t-shirt. In the early 2010s, we changed our dining time to their "Kids Eat Free on Wednesdays" after H turned toddler, & brought our friends with kids too. While the longstanding promo is no longer active, they occasionally run holiday or event-based kids eat free specials. Their Keiki (kid's meal) Menu includes: main entrée, side, drink, & dessert... it's a great value for the amount of food!
I first learned about Back Home in Lahaina from my bank supervisor who lives in the South Bay. Her family loves the authentic Hawaiian comfort foods, particularly the addicting Lahaina Fried Chicken. It's famous for their slightly sweet, light & crunchy chicken. I love adding a splash of NOH Hawaiian Hot Sauce for a l'il heat!
There's 2 specials (Beef Stew Curry, Fish & Chips) that I often order when I see it on the menu. And I always order the curry... love the Japanese-inspired curry roux base with mild heat! Usually posted in the late fall & winter, it's the perfect comfort food to counter the chill! When my husband is hungrier than norm, he'll either add an order of Hawaiian Nachos (they use wonton skins as chips instead of tortillas), or replace the entrée with the Back Home Sampler, which has a bit of everything.
We've ordered maybe 1/2 of the menu over the years? Sticking to our favs, & adding other items when we're dining with guests. Their entrées are large enough to share between 2 people, & have been doing so in later years whereas I was hangry enough to eat the whole plate on my own. If you still have room for dessert, Haupia or Jello Cheesecakes are both delish to end your meal. I like the former; it's creamy yet light with a delicate, rich coconut filling. The kiddos love the latter for the strawberry jello that adds a sweet bouncy punch of flavor to the tangy cheesecake.
The 1st decade's food & service was excellent, & we dined in so much that we knew most of the servers & can ask for "our usual" before we are seated. The timing is almost seamless from entry to our order to paying our check. Our servers were detailed-oriented to make sure everything is in place after serving our food (extra plates & napkins, necessary condiments), refilling our water with no/little prompts, & bringing our check quickly with necessary boxes when there's leftovers. However, the 2nd decade had its ups & down, especially during the pandemic lockdown (the once spacious dining room was awkward & warm with the plexiglass partitions). Gone are our fav servers, loyalty stamp card, & "Kids Eat Free on Wednesdays." What really kept us from returning often is the lack of consistency in food & service. If we're taking an early dinner around 5:30 PM, sometimes we have to wait awhile because there's no host(ess) at the counter. There may be times when we're seated & there's no server around, or I'm waving the menu to catch their eye. Then there's order execution issues: waiting period from our order to expedition time, not everything is served the relatively the same time, food quality (partly raw chicken, stale wonton chips, overcooked chicken tenders, etc.) & quantity (seems like there's a less?) issues. It's common enough to be a deterrent for frequent repeat visits. But when they're on point, it's the best bang for your buck value for a delish Hawaiian meal!
Back Home in Lahaina serves some of the best Hawaiian foods around the South Bay. It's a vibrant community hangout, especially when they host live Hawaiian music (usually on Friday evenings) from regular local acts & guest feature artists! Mahalo!
Recommended: Everything on the order list, especially the Lahaina Fried Chicken & Beef Stew Curry.