Maui Grille

ADDRESS: 15529 W. Bell Road, Surprise, on the southwest corner of Bell at Reems Road in the Macayo's plaza.

PHONE NUMBER: 623-546-9939.

HOURS: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, 8 a.m., closed Monday for private events.

OWNERS: Bill and Carol Brewer.

CUISINE: American menu with Hawaiian flair, Pacific Rim items and fish.

SEATS: 153.

OPEN SINCE: May 28.

WEB SITE: www.mauigrille.com.

SPECIALTY OF THE HOUSE: For lunch, pineapple boat with chicken or tuna salad; for dinner, Hawaiian ribs or macadamia nut-crusted mahi-mahi - served with choice of two sauces, Kahlua lime sauce or Maui sauce, which is an Asian soy sauce blend and is also the base for the Hawaiian ribs, Bill Brewer said.

POPULAR BREAKFAST ENTRÉE: Lobster and crab omelet served with breakfast potatoes and choice of toast.

POPULAR APPETIZER: Coconut crusted shrimp served with plum and cocktail sauces - "The breading is done in-house," Bill Brewer said. Pupu appetizer platter - four pieces each of coconut crusted shrimp, lava wings, Maui onion rings, spring rolls, and a half rack of Hawaiian ribs. "It's eye-catching and substantial," Bill Brewer said. "And it's convenient to get a sampling of all the different items."

POPULAR LUNCH ENTREÉ: Lobster club sandwich.

POPULAR DINNER ENTREÉ: Macadamia nut-crusted mahi-mahi; specialty hamburgers.

DESSERT: Mango passion cheesecake; Hula pie - chocolate cookie crust piled with mocha ice cream, fudge swirls, almonds and fudge sauce.

AVAILABLE FOR: Dine in, take out, catering.

PRICE RANGE: $5.49 to $12 for breakfast, $7 to $14 for lunch, and $6 to $39 for dinner.

WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW: The restaurant serves brunch until 4 p.m., then switches to a dinner menu. Happy hour is from 3 to 6 p.m. The bar menu features pulled pork and lobster club sliders during happy hour. On select evenings, Bill Hranek plays smooth jazz on acoustic guitar. The restaurant will celebrate its one-year anniversary with a luau May 31. The Henry Kim Band, a popular band from Honolulu, is scheduled to perform at the luau.

UNIQUE TIDBITS: "Lots of people ask if it's a chain, but it's not; it's the first of the concept," said Bill Brewer, a former airline pilot. "It grew from what we experienced with Hawaii, and we wanted to bring back elements of old Hawaii, not current." The designer incorporated a lanai, lava rock patio, water features and an interior patio with Fleetwood sliding glass doors that all contribute to an open, flowing floor plan. The Islander Club is the restaurant's rewards program. Cardholders receive a point for every dollar spent on food and drinks and also can receive e-mail updates on specials and musical acts.

FUTURE PLANS: "To refine this location and consider different developers," Bill Brewer said. " We will probably expand when economy turns around a little."