Burger Shack at the Ritz
I am sitting at the Burger Shack Bar with a view of green valleys and the mountains of Moloka‘i across the channel. The sound of crashing waves echoes in the ironwood trees. When my burger arrives, all eyes turn to admire it: a hefty nine ounces of grass-fed beef from Maui Cattle Company, cooked to a perfect medium rare and served on a King’s Bakery sweet-bread bun with bacon, Hāmākua trumpet mushrooms, thick red tomato slices, Swiss cheese and chipotle aioli. There’s even a side of crunchy sweet potato fries. Just as I’m thinking it can’t get any better, I find out that the Burger Shack makes its own ketchup with pineapple, tomato and molasses; plump dill pickles; and a killer hot sauce. As I happily wolf down the burger, my piña colada milk shake appears. Made with Hawai‘i’s own Dave’s Ice Cream and garnished with house-candied pineapple and a mini Peter Paul’s Mounds bar, it’s dessert, too! As I roll my eyes at all this yummy goodness, longtime bartender Lonnie Wasieleski, who’s worked at The Ritz for seventeen years, tells me I have to try the vegetarian Bikini Burger, made with black beans and roasted beets. Yes, I think, as I sip my ice cream shake. I’ll be back for that.
1 Ritz Carlton Drive, Kapalua | 808-669-6200 | BurgerShackKapalua.com
