When you’re craving brick-oven pizza and other authentic Italian fare, Sale Pepe is the top spot to go in West Maui. At their cozy eatery, they go big on flavor by using time-honored recipes and the freshest island ingredients. Their culinary influences stem from the owners’ upbringing in Brooklyn and Milan, creating a fusion of approaches that works quite well. They don’t skimp on the portions either, serving up enough for two in just one dish.
Since they’re only open for dinner service, it’s often tough to get a table. You can avoid the disappointment of finding the place packed by booking a table well ahead of time, however. Just make sure that you’ll be able to swing by at the selected time and date. Otherwise, you might end up paying a fee for canceling your reservations.
Once you make it through the doors of Sale Pepe, you can expect a friendly greeting plus a truly welcoming atmosphere. As long as you have a reservation, your server will whisk you over to your table of choice and bring out the menus. Although their bistro-style tables and chairs are rather basic, their dining room is cozy and well-lit, so you can admire all your selections before digging in. Prefer to eat outside? As long as the weather is nice, you can eat out on the patio.
As you browse through the menu at Sale Pepe, you’ll find all the top Italian dishes plus plenty of specialty pizza flavors to mull over. On top of that, they have a full drink menu with the most popular beer, wine, and cocktail options. Upon putting in your order, you’ll have a bit of a wait since everything is made from scratch and prepared using classic techniques.
As your food arrives at the table of Sale Pepe, the heavenly scent of fresh herbs and spices will have you sampling your selections in no time flat. Just be sure to note the beautiful plating presentations or even snap a quick photo for the memory books.
Stop in to try these items from Sale Pepe:
Speck Salumi Plate
The Speck salumi plate serves as a wonderful way to whet your appetite and get ready for the main course. They create this dish by thinly slicing spiced, cured, and slow-smoked ham and plating it up with focaccia bread. If you’d like additional types of meat, go for the plate of three and choose two other options, like coppa or prosciutto.
Chicken Liver Crostini
On your slow roll toward the main entrée, treat yourself to the Chicken Liver Crostini small bite plate. They make this appetizer by spreading organic chicken liver pate from Sullivan Co. Farms on their housemade grilled bread. Then, they add parmigiano over top before sprinkling on the parsley.
Lasagna
If you adore the classics, then the Lasagna is the perfect choice for your dinner entrée at Sale Pepe. This dish begins with the preparation of the flavorful ragu sauce featuring Maui Cattle Co. beef. Then, they layer it over their classic pasta noodles along with mozzarella, parmigiano, and bechamel. The whole lot goes in the oven until bubbling and golden brown to finish it off right.
Pizza Bianca
For a flavor explosion in every bite, it’s the Pizza Bianca that you want in your life. This brick-oven pizza starts with its housemade crust and rich, decadent sauce. Over that, Sale Pepe adds fior di latte cheese, Kurobuta Malama Farms ground sausage, roasted garlic, mushrooms, and arugula. After that, it takes a ride in the brick oven until browned all over.
If you want the full Italian dining experience, do your best to save room for dessert. Although the sweet treats at Sale Pepe change often, they’re all well worth trying. Depending on when you come in, you might get a chance to sample their Tiramisu that’s one part gorgeous, another part fantastically delicious. Or you’ll get to treat yourself to the rich and flavorful Chocolate Pannacotta. Don’t have another inch in your belly for dessert? Just order your selections to go and enjoy them back at your hotel room.
Insider Tips:
-Call the restaurant for reservations when you book your trip to avoid missing out on a chance to visit.
-They don’t offer a complimentary bread basket, but you can order one if you’d like.