Maui Restaurants

For a place the size of Maui, there’s a lot going on when it comes to the dining scene, from ethnic holes-in-the-wall to stunningly appointed hotel dining rooms, and from seafood trucks to oceanfront fish houses with panoramic views. Much of the food is excellent, but some of it is overpriced and touristy. If you’re coming from a "food destination" city, you may have to adjust your expectations.

Follow the locavore trend, and at casual and fine-dining restaurants choose menu items made with products that are abundant on the island, like local fish, beef, venison, onions, avocados, cabbage, broccoli, asparagus, hydroponic tomatoes, myriad herbs, salad greens, kalo (taro), bananas, papaya, guava, lilikoi (passion fruit), coconut, mangoes, strawberries, and Maui pineapple. You can also look for treats grown on neighboring islands, such as mushrooms, purple sweet potatoes, and watermelon.

"Local food," a specific and official cuisine designated as such in the 1920s, is an amalgam of foods brought by the ethnic groups that have come here since the mid-1800s and also blended with the foods native Hawaiians have enjoyed for centuries. Dishes to try include lomilomi salmon, laulau, poi, Portuguese bean soup, kalbi ribs, chicken katsu, chow fun, hamburger steak, and macaroni salad. For a food adventure, take a drive into Central Maui and have lunch or dinner at one of the "local" spots recommended here. Or get even more adventurous and take a drive around Wailuku or Kahului and find your own hidden gem—there are plenty out there.

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  • 1. Kihei Caffe

    $

    This unassuming popular spot across the street from Kalama Beach Park has a breakfast menu that runs the gamut from healthy yogurt-filled papaya to the local classic loco moco—two eggs, ground beef patty, rice, and brown gravy—and everything in between. Unique menu items include corned beef hash and catfish at breakfast and a calamari sandwich at lunch. A second location recently opened in Lahaina.

    1945 S. Kihei Rd., Kihei, Hawaii, 96753, USA
    808-879–2230

    Known For

    • Killer cinnamon rolls
    • Enormous portions
    • Breakfast served all day

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner
  • 2. Maui Brewing Company

    $

    You don’t need to be a beer lover to appreciate a visit to Maui Brewing Company’s flagship location. Spanning more than five acres, the Kīhei compound includes a restaurant, brewery, and tasting room. Craft pizzas, burgers, salads, and more highlight a lively menu, as do craft cocktails. Step behind the scenes with a one-hour guided brewery tour on the weekend.

    605 Lipoa Parkway, Kihei, Hawaii, 96753, USA
    808-201–2337

    Known For

    • Boozy "sloshies" from MBC's Kupu Spirits
    • Spacious venue with open-air setting
    • Lively bar scene separate from the dining area
  • 3. Morimoto Maui

    $$$$

    "Iron Chef" Masaharu Morimoto's eponymous restaurant, located at the Andaz Maui resort, has some of Maui's most creative presentations and, arguably, some of its best food. Poolside outdoor tables that sit directly under the stars, a bustling dining room, and a sushi bar all make it a lively choice, but the food is ultimately the reason to go. Feast on slices of tuna pizza, indulge in premium Wagyu beef (carpaccio or filet), and splurge on some of the best sushi in Maui.

    3550 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea, Hawaii, 96753, USA
    808-243–4766

    Known For

    • Fantastic levels of service
    • Signature Morimoto dishes
    • Excellent ambience
  • 4. Nick's Fishmarket Maui

    $$$$

    Find some of the best seafood on the Island at this elegant eatery inside the Fairmont Kea Lani. This dinner-only restaurant sources the freshest fish possible, and often has beautifully prepared offerings, like opakapaka (pink snapper), that other fish restaurants don’t. The wine list is large and diverse and the evening views of the hotel pool underneath tiki torch-lit palm trees add to the ambiance.

    4100 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea, Hawaii, 96753, USA

    Known For

    • Strawberries panzini dessert (flambéed with Grand Marnier)
    • Outstanding levels of service
    • Good selection of gluten-free options
  • 5. Pita Paradise Mediterranean Bistro

    $$

    Don't be fooled by its playful name; this place serves high-quality food that befits its chic surroundings. This restaurant's owner is a fisherman himself, so you know the fish here is the freshest available. Lunch features affordable and delicious sandwiches and burgers, but in the evening the space is transformed into an Italian-Greek bistro with entrées like chicken fettuccine and mousaka.

    34 Wailea Gateway Pl., Wailea, Hawaii, 96753, USA
    808-879–7177

    Known For

    • Mediterranean chicken pita
    • Baklava ice-cream cake with Roselani ice cream
    • Lamb gnocchi, made in-house
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  • 6. Tommy Bahama

    $$$$

    It's more "Island-style" than Hawaii-style—and yes, it's a chain—but the food is consistently great, the service is filled with aloha, and the ambience is Island refined. The cocktails are among the best and most creative on the Island and include well-priced non-alcoholic options. Guests can enjoy live music Wednesday through Saturday evenings.

    3750 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea, Hawaii, 96753, USA
    808-875–9983

    Known For

    • Miso-glazed King Salmon
    • Filet mignon in a variety of preparations
    • Festive bar scene

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
  • 7. Ferraro's Bar e Ristorante

    $$$$

    Overlooking the ocean from a bluff above Wailea Beach, this outdoor Italian restaurant at Four Seasons Resort Maui is Wailea's only oceanfront restaurant. For lunch, indulge in the catch of the day, artisanal sandwiches, or one of a variety of stone-baked pizzas. At dinner, try the Italian-inspired salads and house-made pasta.

    3900 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea, Hawaii, 96753, USA
    808-874–8000

    Known For

    • Romantic ambience
    • Excellent selection of Italian wines
    • Classical music in the moonlight
  • 8. Humuhumunukunukuapuaa

    $$$$

    This Polynesian-style thatch-roof, open-air restaurant "floats" atop a saltwater lagoon, which gives it an exotic romantic feel that's suited for special occasions. Daily breakfast features hearty, yet elegant options. The restaurant is named for Hawaii's state fish, so it's wise to try at least one seafood dish at dinner. There are also flavorful options like prime beef and lobster, unique combinations like ahi (yellowfin tuna) and foie gras, and a not-to-be-missed dessert menu.

    3850 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea, Hawaii, 96753, USA
    808-875–1234

    Known For

    • Macadamia-crusted catch of the day
    • Nightly live music
    • Seasonal, farm-to-table dishes

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch, closed for dinner Mon. and Tues.
  • 9. Ko

    $$$$

    The menu at Ko—which means "sugarcane" in Hawaiian—features dishes from the many cultures of the plantation era, some of which are local family recipes. Executive Chef Emeritus Tylun Pang created a menu featuring modern, innovative twists to Hawaiian, Chinese, Filipino, Portuguese, Korean, and Japanese dishes. Their new Sunday brunch is somehow both inventive and authentic, featuring Asian-inspired and local-style dishes, live music, and a massive "Big Kahuna" Bloody Mary for four. Private dining experiences are available in Ko Garden.

    4100 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea, Hawaii, 96753, USA
    808-875–2210

    Known For

    • Must-order dish: seafood laulau
    • Delicious lobster tempura
    • Zarzuela seafood dish, simmered in saffron
  • 10. Monkeypod Kitchen

    $$

    The wooden surfboards hanging above the bar and surf videos playing in the background set a decidedly chill vibe at this buzzing restaurant, the creation of local celebrity-chef Peter Merriman. He offers a menu that highlights local bounty, with such standout dishes as poke tacos, coconut corn chowder, and wood-fired pizzas.

    10 Wailea Gateway Pl., Wailea, Hawaii, 96753, USA
    808-891–2322

    Known For

    • Fun cocktails such as Monkeypod mai tai
    • Live music twice daily
    • Pecan-crusted mahimahi (dolphinfish)
  • 11. Monsoon India

    $$

    This authentic Indian restaurant offers stunning ocean views and appetizers like papadum chips and samosas served with homemade chutneys. There are 10+ breads—naan and more, including a gluten-free option—that come hot from the tandoori oven, along with mix-and-match curries, lots of vegetarian selections, kebabs, and biryanis.

    760 S. Kihei Rd., Kihei, Hawaii, 96753, USA
    808-875–6666

    Known For

    • Vegetarian-friendly options
    • Covered, open-air setting
    • Full bar with ocean view

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch Mon.
  • 12. Roasted Chiles

    $$

    This family-run restaurant serves authentic flavors from Mexico City and just about everything—from the furniture to the artisanal plates on the wall—has been brought directly from Mexico. All menu items are made in-house; try Grandma’s classic chicken mole recipe, which packs in more than 25 ingredients.

    1279 S. Kihei Rd., Kihei, Hawaii, 96753, USA
    808-868–4357

    Known For

    • 40-plus tequila options
    • Creamy langostino enchiladas
    • Welcoming atmosphere

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
  • 13. Sarento's on the Beach

    $$$$

    This upscale Italian restaurant's setting right on spectacular Keawakapu Beach, with views of Molokini and Kahoolawe, is irresistible. The brunch menu lasts until 2 pm, and dinner has a decidedly Italian bent, with dishes like seared ahi over lemon-butter pasta and veal osso buco. In whale season, they even set binoculars on the table so you can watch for whales from your table.

    2980 S. Kihei Rd., Kihei, Hawaii, 96753, USA
    808-875–7555

    Known For

    • Oceanfront setting
    • Rack of lamb Placourakis
    • Veal milanese

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
  • 14. South Shore Tiki Lounge

    $

    This tiki bar—tucked into Kihei Kalama Village—serves burgers, sandwiches, and delicious specialty pizzas that are crafted from scratch with sauces made from fresh Roma tomatoes and Maui herbs.

    1913-J S. Kihei Rd., Kihei, Hawaii, 96753, USA
    808-874–6444

    Known For

    • Kitchen open until 10 pm
    • All-day happy hour
    • Late-night dancing under the gaze of the lounge's namesake tiki
  • 15. Spago

    $$$$

    It's a marriage made in Hawaii heaven: the California cuisine of celebrity-chef Wolfgang Puck combined with Maui flavors and served lobby-level and oceanfront at the luxurious Four Seasons Resort Maui. Try the spicy ahi (yellowfin tuna) poke in sesame-miso cones to start and then see what the chef can do with some of Maui's fantastic local fish. It will cost you, but the service is spot-on, and the contemporary interior allows the food to claim the spotlight.

    3900 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea, Hawaii, 96753, USA
    808-879–2999

    Known For

    • Exceptional wine list
    • Show-stopping desserts
    • Sunset views from the patio

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch
  • 16. Thailand Cuisine

    $

    Sure it's in a shopping mall, but the care and expense that has gone into the interior—glittering Buddhist shrines, elaborate hardwood facades, fancy napkin folds, and matching blue china—also applies to the cuisine. Start with the coconut-ginger chicken soup, then continue with flavorful pad Thai and curries before finishing off this authentic meal with fried bananas and ice cream. There's a second location in Kahului's Maui Mall, a perfect choice before or after a movie at the megaplex.

    1819 S. Kihei Rd., Kihei, Hawaii, 96753, USA
    808-875–0839

    Known For

    • Crispy fried chicken
    • Family dinners for two or four
    • Tom yum seafood soup

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Credit cards accepted
  • 17. The Pint & Cork

    $$

    For a little break from the Maui sun and fruity cocktails, spend an afternoon digging into elegant pub fare backed by an excellent, expert cocktail program with a focus on whiskey. It’s the perfect spot to recover from a sunburn or catch a game while still being social and enjoying what Maui has to offer. This is the type of place where you want to sit at the bar and bend the bartender’s ear (if they’re not busy).

    3750 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea, Hawaii, 96753, USA

    Known For

    • Warm and friendly locals' favorite
    • Fantastic burgers
    • Unique menu items such as devilled eggs and "Irish" tacos
  • 18. Three's Bar & Grill

    $$

    The name of the restaurant comes from the three young chefs who each have a distinctive culinary style (Hawaiian, Southwestern, and Pacific Rim), but somehow it all works. The space is as big as the menu—there are salads, burgers, steaks, and fresh fish, as well as a raw bar with sushi and hand rolls—with three separate dining areas, plus an outdoor patio.

    1945-G S. Kihei Rd., Kihei, Hawaii, 96753, USA
    808-879–3133

    Known For

    • Kalua pork quesadilla
    • Daily happy hour with some killer deals
    • Hurricane fries tossed in sriracha aioli
  • 19. Cuatro

    $$$
    Closed Permanently

    Chef-owner Eric Arbogast has admirably turned this tiny space tucked into a corner of a strip mall into a comfortable restaurant serving well-prepared, delicious food. Signature dishes include spicy tuna nachos, fresh local fish, Asian-style marinated grilled steak, and south-of-the-border-style marinated pork.

    1881 S. Kihei Rd., Hawaii, 96753, USA
    808-879–1110

    Known For

    • BYOB with a corkage fee of $10
    • Asian Latin fusion
    • Warm and friendly atmosphere

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch, closed Mon. and Tues.

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