Eating & Drinking in Maui

• Places to Explore
• Sights
• Restaurants
• Hotels
• Entertainment
• Shopping
• Activities
• Travel Tips
• Features

Eating & Drinking

Food in Hawaii is a reflection of the state's diverse cultural makeup and tropical location. Fresh seafood is the hallmark of Hawaii regional cuisine, and its preparations are drawn from across the Pacific Rim, including Japan, the Philippines, Korea, and Thailand. "Hawaiian food," however, is a cuisine in its own right. Meals in resort areas are costly but often excellent.

Reservations & Dress

Maui is decidedly casual. Aloha shirts and shorts or long pants for men and island-style dresses or casual resort wear for women are standard attire for evenings in most hotel restaurants and local eateries. T-shirts and shorts will do the trick for breakfast and lunch.

Specialties

Fish, fruit, and fresh island-grown produce are the base of Hawaii regional cuisine. The "plate lunch" is the heart of most Hawaiians' days and usually consists of grilled teriyaki chicken, beef, or fish, served with two scoops of white rice and two side salads. Poke, marinated raw tuna, is a local hallmark. Take note, in general, when you order a regular coffee, you get coffee with milk and sugar.

Wine, Beer & Spirits

Hawaii has a new generation of microbreweries, including on-site microbreweries at many restaurants. The drinking age in Hawaii is 21 years of age, and a photo ID must be presented to purchase alcoholic beverages. Bars are open until 2 AM; venues with a cabaret license can stay open until 4 AM. No matter what you might see in the local parks, drinking alcohol in public parks or on the beaches is illegal. It's also illegal to have open containers of alcohol in motor vehicles.