On The Menu with Three’s Bar & Grill

Chef Cody Christopher is my quote king.  I learned this in the first story I covered at Three’s Bar & Grill in Kīhei.  So in asking him about the recent changes at Three’s, including his hands-on role in building a new wooden bar in their Surf Lounge, Christopher doesn’t disappoint, revealing a tiny royal gem of a quote.

“We were making ‘man glitter:’ sawdust,” he laughs.

The renovated Surf Lounge isn’t the only big development at Three’s in the last few years.    A kitchen fire in October 2016 was a jarring experience for Christopher, along with co-owners Jaron Blosser and Travis Morrin, who all worked tirelessly to get the restaurant reopened in just 40 days.  Just as the kitchen was back and better than ever, another opportunity came knocking:  Three’s was selected along with a few other Maui businesses to be featured on a Food Network show:  Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

“It’s funny how things work,” says chef/co-owner Jaron Blosser, who served as project manager on the kitchen rebuild.  “Our kitchen was always nice but it just never felt new, and now it feels new. We’re really proud of this kitchen; it looks great, it looks new, and it allowed us to feel good about doing that show, because we could really show off all parts of our restaurant.”

The restaurant has evolved, but owners say its unique, diverse menu remains the constant cornerstone.

“We have burgers, we have noodles, we have beer can chicken, brussels spouts, oysters, jambalaya, the list goes on and on,” explains chef/co-owner Travis Morrin.  “We wanted a place where you could take the family and there’s something for everybody, no matter what; sushi included too.”

Three’s breakfast is served daily between 8:30 and 11 a.m. during the week, and expands from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends.  The owners describe some of their breakfast favorites to me in our On The Menu video above.

“We have a nice, casual fine-dining setting, we have live music every day, we also have a liquor license so you can have mimosas and Bloody Marys if you’re into that kind of thing,” says Morrin.  “We’re just one of those places that has been doing breakfast for a really long time.”

The restaurant also has popular happy hours, with both drink and pūpū specials from 3 to 6 p.m. and 9 to 10 p.m. daily.  Like their sister restaurant Fork & Salad in Kīhei, which is expanding to a Kahului location in Spring, supporting Hawai‘i farmers and producers is a priority.  For instance, Morrin lists a few local ingredients in Three’s loco moco and stuffed french toast.

“Kula strawberries, bread that’s made locally, lilikoi-guava jelly, Maui onion rings, Maui Cattle beef patty,” explains Morrin.  “Whenever possible, where ever possible, we include local and it’s important to us.”