The Higher Ground Cafe

We pulled in here after our early morning excursion to the crater for the sunrise! WOW. The gentleman who waited on us had several tables, but was very attentive and the food was delicious. The warm coffee was a blessing as it had been cold in the morning and we all were eager to warm up! Sat right by the wood stove and loved the atmosphere. Breakfast here is a treat!

I wanted to like this cute little place so much. But really its a tourist trap! Found this on my way down from the crater. It is located in same area as the zipline tours. Its quiet and peaceful in the morning. A bit pricey for coffee that was watered down according to a friend. I had the hot chocolate which was delicious. The ham/​swiss croissant was ok… nothing special honestly. The pineapple and waffles were standard. Overall the food is eh ok the service was nice and wish the food was on par with the prices… even for Hawaii. When your one of the only places in near the crater I guess you can charge a little more. The bike tours stop here for breakfast as well. Oh and FYI this place is off the grid so only port-​a-​pottys for bathrooms

What a scam! Restaurant? Who are you kidding?
Of the 13 Unilocal reviews, 11 are five star. They talk about great meals, «best food we’ve had in Maui», «atmosphere and music are awesome.» I guess it is nice to to have friends write reviews.
The only hot items on the lunch menu were a hot dog, quiche, or a sandwich. You order at a counter where all is in disarray. Seating is picnic tables. Food comes on paper plates and bowls. Access is up a dirt path climbing over logs.
This is a coffee spot with sweets and a few hot items. It should not be called a restaurant. And as far as saying it’s the best food on Maui — wow, someone needs to get out more!

Atmosphere & music are awesome! Had the privilege to find it on my way after visiting The summit for sunrise.
The Ladies were very welcoming and pleasant.
The food was delicious, I had myself a Hot cocoa, waffles, ham & swiss croissant, and acai bowl! (all shared with hubby of course !) Loved it!

I guess I was really expecting something spectacular given all of the 5-​star Unilocal reviews. I live in Kula so thought I would take visiting friends for breakfast. There were eight things on the menu and three of them were bagels or croissants. I did not have the waffle dessert, but we each had a slice of quiche, mine with bacon and cheddar (didn’t really find one hint of bacon in there) and my friend the artichoke, feta. Both were obviously frozen, as the water poured out as we cut them. The Kula Colada was OK (a drink that appeared to be POG mixed with some coconut milk) and the water was bottled. As for the «best atmosphere and best meal I’ve had on Maui,» I can only wonder where you have been eating. A food truck as the same sort of ambience. It was OK. Will I drive the 5 miles along very beautiful scenery to eat there again. Not likely. I’ll stay in my neighborhood and have breakfast at Grandma’s or the Kula Bistro. For the same amount of money, I’ll get freshly made food, not frozen. My friend, who went with, told me I was too kind with three stars so I downgraded to two. It really isn’t worth it.

This breakfast place, after a lovely morning viewing the Haleakala sunrise, complimented its forestry atmosphere and spectacular view seamlessly. The Maui waffle dessert with the lavender drizzle was delicious. The waffle was cooked to a crisp with seared squares topped with powered sugar, garnished with a pineapple slice and cooked banana, and the lavender drizzle was served on the side. I also ordered a side of 2 eggs cooked over easy (cooked perfectly). My companions ordered the banana pancakes which were also very freshly made and tasted delicious (the banana cooked in the pancake made that thing wet). The service was very on top of it and made ordering very easy with their trusty iPhone Square-​like app.

The Maui tacos alone are worth the drive! By far the best food we have had on Maui! The smell of fresh lavender and majestic views complete this perfect little café. An absolute must stop in maui!

Great food! Loved the Pesto Pizza… BBQ Pork Tacos and Lavender Ginger Lemonade. Nice view from the patio

Wow. We had a party of five and tried just about everything on the menu. Each was extremely unique and excellent. The pesto pizza was a favorite with the beef tacos a close second. Even the Taro (veggie) burger was great.

Nice owners that are growing their food organically and responsibly. I really liked their mission and what they were doing. Had the taro burger, it’s was delicious! I wish they had an option for a side dish, but picked up some banana macadamia nut bread that had been made that morning for the hike. Prices are on the higher side, but I don’t mind paying for quality.

When we were here (Nov 2013) they had changed the name to «Maui Lavender Café»
I’m not sure how or why, but it is the same place as listed in these reviews — right next to Eco Tours Kula.
Seriously some of the best food on Maui.

Stopped here on my way down the volcano on a bike. My wife and I both got tacos. They were amazing! We both loved them. The prize was a bit high.
I would definitely stop again.

We stopped here with the mountain riders tour. The food was delicious and organic. My burger was one of the best I ever had. Also, there homemade hot chocolate is perfect!
The grounds are picturesque. The owner maintains a beautiful garden and has a gazebo overlooking it.
Fair warning: The bathrooms are port-​a-​potties, but I did not hear any complaints.

Just lovely. Small portioned delicious things, nice assortments of hot drinks, and a beautiful place to be. Reasonably priced too.

If you’re riding down from the Haleakala summit, Higher Ground will be the first place you can stop to get something hot (and oh man, will it feel good). Follow me, fellow Unilocalers, to get to the Higher Ground:
— Turn in to the place that has a wooden sign advertising lavender, food, and coffee, right in front of a whole bunch of shrubs.
— Stash your bike along the wire fence. Don’t worry about people stealin’ — it’s kupa, and even if one were so evilly inclined, the only people going up/​down are pretty much tourists. What’re they gonna do, drag your bike alongside their rented Malibu?
— Place your order at the counter (I highly recommend anything that has kale pesto). There’s a selection of Numi teas, and if you get hot cocoa you can get it dusted with cocoa powder, cinnamon, and whipped cream
— Food is prepared in a separate cart to the side; they’ll call your name when it’s done
On my visit, I chose the egg sammy, a coffee, and a lemon lavender bar. The baguette on the sammy is chewy and crusty, very flavorful and not hard. There’s a touch of arugula in addition to the lettuce, the kale pesto amazingly flavorful, and the texture of the eggs are like a soft scramble. Overall, a fantastic breakfast sandwich and can be shared with a buddy if neither of you is ravenous. The lemon lavender bar was also delicious — crumbly, not too sweet, and I could see/​taste the flecks of lavender in it.
Another thing I liked is that after you eat (or while you’re waiting for your order), you can browse the handmade lavender goods displayed right on the patio. There’s a selection of soaps, essential oils, scent sachets, etc., and there are testers for the body/​hand lotion. Or you can leisurely kick back with your coffee, enjoy the hillside view (you can see all the way to the ocean), and just take in the sweet scent of lavender.

Stopped here on the way down from the top of Haleakala. Great food (breakfast and lunch all day) and really nice people. Outdoor seating on the porch or the gazebo near the lavender gardens. Best meal and atmosphere we’ve had in Maui so far!