Being famous doesn’t always get you a pass, like earlier today with the recently infamous Cheeseburger in Paradise. After today’s closure by the health department, it would have preferred to land in hot water, as you’ll see. The Front Street Maui establishment was previously in the news when we wrote about who was eating there.
Cheeseburger in Paradise shuttered by red safety placard.
But today, the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) dropped its dreaded red placard on the joint, closing the Lahaina restaurant until remediation can occur. This resulted from an inspection that was instigated by an anonymous complaint.
The restaurant on Front Street in Lahaina had no hot water, which meant it wasn’t possible to wash, degrease and sanitize their wares properly. As a result, the Health Department wanted to be sure that visitors were safe. They will follow up in the next two days to determine if remediation has occurred.
The health department’s report said the restaurant plans to replace its water heater. Plus, have a hot water booster in place to assure compliance with safety requirements. “District inspector will conduct a follow-up inspection by Friday 04/14/2023 to re-assess the establishment’s progress with the installation of the new hot water heater and functioning to produce consistent hot water at minimum 110F. Establishment must remain closed until DOH approval has been received to resume operations.”
An imminent health hazard, first with no hot water.
Further, in its inspection report today, the DOH called the situation “An imminent health hazard resulting in closure.”
In addition to the lack of hot water, the DOH noted “grease build-up on the surrounding walls/equipment.” That resulted from a faulty kitchen ventilation hood system, which was addressed between the restaurant and the health department.
Prior notoriety may have been equally undesired attention.
We wrote about Cheeseburger in Paradise last month when Gregory Becker, ex-president, and CEO of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), had his wife Marilyn drop in for a quick pick-up. The couple also walked on Front Street in Lahaina following his bank’s collapse.
The once prestigious couple seemed odd pairing with the Lahaina burger joint. Cheeseburger in Paradise typically features oceanside dining and great views. The restaurant has been in business since 1989. It has a range of reviews from “Great food, music, drinks, service, and location!” to “salad had dry chicken with bag lettuce that tasted like it was opened days ago.” The restaurant has over 4,500 4.3-star reviews.
We have been going to Ka’anapali Maui for over 40 years, got sick from eating a cheeseburger there, never went back. Not recommended.
I never found cheeseburger in paradise to appear clean……windows, door trim, flooring, tables….also close proximity to strangers at other tables….have not been back since 2017…
totally agree.
The first time we went in 2014, the service and food was amazing… we went every year after that and it seemed to decline, but we wanted to give the benefit of the doubt… then this last time in Jan 2023, the service was garbage and the food was really mediocre.