Best food of the trip, and we went everywhere good to eat. No weird pig thing, which was the only way we going to do this.
Great drinks. Great views.

Expensive, but they all are. And considering drinks are included, it worked out well.

Only lua we did, but it has to be the best.

Trying to decide which Luau? This one is different (in a good way) because it features a variety of four different island cultures presented in both food and dance, with an interesting narration.
The dancing was was really wonderful. The pace of the evening was leisurely.

The big, big plus IMHO is the seating & service which is restaurant style, not banquet style. No sitting with strangers, no buffet lines. Each VERY filling course of several items is brought to your private table and described for you. Some things we liked, some we didn't, but that is why you try these experiences. Included in the (pricey) cost is an extensive variety of beverages: good tropical drinks - with or without alcohol, suggested wine and beer pairings for each course, coffee and soft drinks. Our 11-year old recommends the "Lava Flow", but said two was enough.

Photos: If you are planning on family/group photos as souvenirs of your trip, set aside some bucks. The photographer did a variety of creative groupings in several settings (beach, tiki) with a total of 12 pictures. We didn't even wait in a line, it was just an available option. If you plan ahead and coordinate your aloha-wear this could be a good value. It wasn't in our budget, but we got a picture on our own camera that we are happy with.

Despite the tourism slowdown in June 2008, the other very highly recommended Luau was sold out about 2 weeks in advance. We tried online and again when we got there. We are very glad to have opted for the Feast at Lele and would recommend it to our friends.

Feast at Lele in Lahaina is a great alternative to the large traditional luaus that are done on the island. While some of the luaus are very good, they are quite large (450 people) and Feast at Lele only seats 150 people at your own individual tables! The setting is right on the water and it's much more intimate than sitting at long tables or on mats on the ground. They present different foods and dances from 4 different countries, Hawaii, New Zealand, Tahiti and Samoa. They bring samples of each of the native foods right to your table and then you enjoy a short show of the dances from that region. They do everything for you!

You are greeting with a fresh flower lei upon arrival along with a mai tai or other tropical drink and most beverages are free throughout the luau/show. I would highly recommend this to anyone as it is an excellent show and a great way to taste the different foods from different cultures. It is a must see!

I've been to multiple luauas, and I think the Feast of Lele is one of the best for a couple reasons. I like the more intimate setting. Paradise Cove on Oahu is 500+ people, but this is more like 150. Some couples are seated up front, then 2 rows of longer tables for 6, then we sat at tables for 4 on a short rise, so we could still see the dancers. The drummers were immediately in back of us - talk about surround sound! A section of the seating went back further, so I'd book early to reserve a better seat.

Seating begins at 6pm. You get a lei and a drink, and can get photos if you want. However, photos were off to the side (at least they were by the time we arrived at 6:15), which I prefer to most luaus that force everyone in line to get a picture taken. The stage is in front of the beach, and you can see the sun set as the dancers present their program. Very nice. Bathrooms are outside of the theater area, in between the shops.

I enjoyed the format, where you had a couple courses from one island, then their dances, then a course from the next island gorup, then their dances, etc. The breaks in between give you time to run to the bathroom, and help ensure it's more spread otu than a normal intermission - good news for us women. I never had to wait for more than 1 person in front of me.

Food was served family style. I personally liked the Hawaiian food the best, and didn't care for the Tahitian at all, but I was pretty full by then, and it's just a matter of personal taste. They will bring you more of something if you ask. We also noticed that several of our waiters had traditional tatoos, some of them quite extravagent and detailed.

The Hawaiian dances were first. They did a couple kahiko numbers, and one or two auana dances. One or two of the girls were a little week in tahitian, but then, I dance hula in a formal halau every week, so I'm more critical than most tourists. Drinks were unlimited, but because we drove, we cut short our alcoholic intake.

Overall, the dancers were good. I've seen some better, some worse. However, the fire-knife dancer is one of the best we've seen. We really enjoyed his performance.

The chairs, although plastic, look nicer than most luau palstic chairs, and are slightly more comfortable. Each table has nice, white table cloths. Bring a jacket, ladies, in case the breeze gets cool after sundown.

There were a couple wahines out front selling hand-made jwerly and hand-carved statues. Some other luaus sell stuff, but it's not always made in Hawaii. We asked the wahine selling the masks to engrave ours with our name and anniversary date, which she did, and she also signed the mask.

What you don't get - the IMU demonstration (demonstartion of pig cooked in underground "oven") and some other traditional stuff that larger luaus include, no buffet, no drink coupons.

What you get - closer view, more intimate, refined setting, better service, unlimited drinks, lovely beach setting.

I have not been to the Old Lahaina Luau, so can't compare, but I can say that if you want a luau that is a little dfiferent from most of the others, this is the one.