New upscale burger place in Kihei - Cow Pig Bun!

What a name! Cow Pig Bun! But the subtitle hints that this is not quite a 'redneck' establishment - it's 'Burgers & Bourbon'. Odd combination, you say?

A facebook friend posted that he'd been and how amazing the burger was. I was taking our wonderful cleaning lady Cindy for lunch, and so we both decided we were game to try something new! Additionally, it meant new fodder for my blog, so see - this lunch was doubly a write-off for me :)

And it was amazing! This is a very newly opened restaurant - it's been open for a week! And the burger was.... amazing! I had the house burger, which is 'burger on foccacia, gruyere, arugula, garlic aioli and caramelized onion'. It also came with a little dish of bacon jam and pork rind crisps. Since the Maui Brewing Company's brand-new (not yet open) facility is just across the road, I had to have their Big Swell IPA to go with my burger. Fantastic meal. The lunch menu is currently limited, but service was good, food great, I'll be back!

my house burger with foccacia bread and yes, those are pork rind crisps.
Where to find it? Cow Pig Bun is located in the Maui Tech Park off of Lipoa. The Maui Tech Park is notoriously unlabeled and things are difficult to find. But when you're driving up the hill, you'll see a black glass building on the left (the new Maui Brewing Company is right next to it - you can't miss their silos). Pull into that parking lot and walk in the front door, it's right there.

Also, in googling it, I discovered something else.... This new restaurant is located where Cafe Carmen used to be (Cafe Carmen is no more).

Cafe Carmen has this to say about Cow Pig Bun:

Introducing, Cow Pig Bun.
When anyone mentions burgers on Maui, one name will immediately come to mind. Cow Pig Bun. while the island can't agree on the politics - or the best Italian restaurant for that matter, the general consensus will be that this is the best burger. 
CPB uses chuck steak and liberally salts the meat so the thick grilled patty releases a gush of flavor with each bite. The house burger is served on a grilled rosemary-scented focaccia, generously slathered with garlic aioli, accompanied by upcountry arugula, Gruyere cheese, caramelized onions and house made balsamic glaze. The burger can be ordered with Mountain Gorgonzola, grilled onions or portobello mushrooms, but why mess with perfection.
After years of managing some of Maui's best restaurants and coming off an amazing year with the opening of Hawaii's Best New Restaurant 'Ka'ana Kitchen'. Restaurant Manager/Wine Director Greg Shepherd is on to a new adventure with us. You might think - Oh another burger joint, but not all burgers are created equal, especially those at Cow Pig Bun. The new pub is the most casual of Shepherd's career ventures, offering a sort of American gastro pub dining experience with a more refined food menu and a unique twist on classic bourbon cocktails.

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