Forget calorie counting and get in here! It’s hard work but many pies were sampled to bring you this list of Four Great Places for Dessert in Hawai’i!
Pie in the Sky – The Coffee Shack on Hawai’i Island
The Coffee Shack perches gracefully on the cliffside on the Mamalahoa Highway, not far from Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park. No visit to the Big Island is complete without a piece of their key lime pie. Their equally delicious pies like chocolate cream are made daily and sell out quickly. The bird’s eye view of the coastline makes breakfast here memorable too. The eggs Benedict are a standout.
Start your morning off with pie at The Coffee Shack – photo by Debra Smith
The nearby park is definitely worth a visit. A well maintained and interesting interpretive trail, visitor centre, reconstructed temples and workshops tell the story of this former sacred Place of Refuge. Defeated warriors and people who had violated a kapu (taboo) escaped death by fleeing here. Across their parking lot is Two-Step, a great local snorkelling spot.
The view from the Coffee Shack is sweet as pie – photo by Debra Smith
The Coffee Shack is open from 7:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. Parking is a bit hair-raising (the parking lot is only fit for professional valets). Park on the shoulder if you have to, the pie and the view are worth it. Prepare to pull over between mile markers 108 and 109.
Pie and a Mumu Please – Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar, Oahu
If “restaurant in a store” has you thinking “lunch counter”, it’s time to recalculate at the recently opened Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar. Follow the spiral staircase to the airy, whitewashed dining room on the second floor where tall windows let in the breeze. In addition to a carefully curated menu that’s heavy on the seafood (because – Hawai’i) there’s a kids’ menu that goes beyond the usual chicken fingers. You’ll also find inspired burgers and of course – pie!
Tommy Bahamas dessert cart is bona fide irresistable – photo by Debra Smith
Just try and choose between their peanut butter pie with a pretzel crust, chocolate ganache and Hawaiian sea salt; a lip-puckering key lime pie that gives Florida a run for its money and the malted chocolate pie with mocha mousse and English toffee crumble. I was crumbling at the thought of having to choose. I was bad and they were all very good. Downstairs you can shop for the perfect casual dress or linen camp shirt on the main floor on your way out and there’s a rooftop patio one floor up. Hours: 11 to 11 daily at 298 Beachwalk Drive, Honolulu, Oahu
Automatic for the People – The Right Slice, Kauai
Fast, friendly, human service or pie on the fly at a fully automated pie dispenser, any way you slice it The Right Slice is worth a visit. Their Kalaheo location serves up overflowing Sweet Slices of pie with a hand rolled butter crust in a casual setting. Try the delicious house speciality, mango lilikoi.
Delicious mango lilikoi pie is The Right Slice specialty – photo by Debra Smith
Sweet Baby Pies serve four to six (or maybe two, depending on how hungry you are). Pie fillings change regularly from macadamia nut and blueberry pina colada to whatever delight head baker and founder Sandy has dreamed up. Speaking of dreams, who would have dreamt that Kauai would boast a futuristic pie machine at the Harbor Mall in Lihue? Drop in and sweeten your day after shopping or take a little piece of Hawaiian goodness with you to the airport.
There are no wrong choices at The Right Slice – photo by Debra Smith
The Kalaheo location is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 2-2459 Kaumaualii Highway. You can grab a slice seven days a week at the Harbor Mall in Lihue, 3501 Rice Street from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The machines are way in the back waiting for your order.
Stop the Car! Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop, Maui
Trust me, you don’t want to drive past Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop on Maui. Nestled among the trees that line Honoapi’ilani Highway just half an hour south of Lahaina, Leoda’s has been welcoming families for years with grandma-worthy home cooking. This is the place for overstuffed sandwiches, salads piled high with fresh ingredients and hot dogs and hamburgers to keep the kids happy.
Save your fork – there’s always pie after a great meal at Leoda’s Kitchen – photo courtesy Leoda’s
Take a detour into savoury pie country and try their deep-dish, herb and cheese crusted chicken pot pie. Tender chicken breast meets peas and carrots in a creamy veloute sauce. The veggie option is packed with island goodies like Moloka’i sweet potato and zucchini.
Their hours are great if you are an early riser or need a quick bite before your plane leaves. They’re open 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., seven days a week. Oh! and the banana cream pie is pretty special too!
Location: 820 Olowalu Village Road, Honoapi’ilani Highway, Lahaina
