i'm putting together a 24-hour trip for 6 people to maui this friday, and i have everything pinned down except dinner friday nite. we'll arrive at the airport at 5:15pm, pick up a car and head over to kihei to check in at the mana kai hotel. we have tickets to the 8:30 show of ulalena in lahaina that nite, giving us just enough time for dinner in either kihei or lahaina before the show.

i've done a search under 'maui restaurants' and found a mention of one, alexander's in kihei, that might fit the bill. wondering if anybody else has any suggestions for either place? looking for something under $15/person, w/ various selections since one of us is allergic to beef, pork and chicken.

i know this request is very specific, but if you've ever pulled together 6 people for a trip, you might understand. and none of us works (combo of retired, student, sabbatical etc) so our one splurge will be haliimaile general store at lunch satdy. the one who doesn't eat meat is dead set on that bc her sister has raved about it for years (also one of my favorites--have you had the hoisin lamb?!). and the reason this is only 24 hours is bc my sister is leaving the cast of ulalena soon, so this is our last chance to see her in the show, and that's the reason we're all flying over from honolulu.

any suggestions wd be greatly appreciated!

We are just going home from Maui tomorrow I would suggest that Aloha Mixed Plate would be a good place for you all to eat at & it is not expensive. My husband & I found the food very good with a nice variety. They have a happy hour til 6:00 pm. It is north of the town of Lahaina, right near Snorkel Bob's & beside the Old Lahaina Luau. We also went to Hailiimaile(sp) General Store. The food was really impressive but a little pricey. Have fun. We sure have.

See if Avalon is still around. Sorry the best I can do. I worked as a chef in Honolulu from 93-97. Avalon was written up in Bonapetite (sp) and Gourmet magazine regularly. It is casual and main courses were about $15 a pop. It was delicious and reasonable in price.

thanks for both ideas (think avalon might be out of our range, tho). anybody else?

Sorry to say, Avalon is closed. As for other options in Lahaina, Cheeseburger in Paradise, its not fancy but it is fun. Also, you could get finger foods at Kimos in that price range; while not a full dinner, you could get a variety of dishes that could easily substitute for a main course each. Oh, and despite the name, Cheeseburger in Paradise does have a number of non-meat selections.

As for you options between the two, I would be a bit nervous eating in Kihei and then heading over to the show, because your timetable looks a bit tight. I think you should plan on eating in Lahaina so you will know exactly how much time you will have for dinner

I can't remember the price range but we had a great time at Bubba Gumps in Lahaina. It was casual, we had a great view and the food was good.

Bubba Gumps is fun. Get a table on the outside of the deck. You will be right over the water. They have non meat dishes as well as seafood. Can't remember what they were, but my Vegan husband likes eating there. I agree that you shouldn't try to drive from Kihei to Lahaina after dinner on such a tight schedule. that road can be VERY slow at times.