Maui Airport Restaurants / Cheap eats?
 

We will be flying into Maui from Salt Lake City. Long flight, will be arriving 2:30 Maui time, but 6:30 SLC time. Will be very hungry. Can anyone suggest some decent restaurants or cheap eats close by before we head to Kaanapali Beach? Any info would be great! Thanks.

Deblyn, if you want something cheap, boring, and fast, get a slice of pizza at the Costco which is really close to the airport...we also picked up a box of water bottles there.

If you want something tasty and fun, but a little out of your way as you're going to Kaanapali, you could head over to Paia, and get a fresh Ono fish burger at the Paia Fish Market Restaurant (casual), 100 Hana Highway, Paia. But I think it was about a 30 to 40 minute drive from the airport...

Maybe somebody else has some more suggestions. Can't believe I'm still awake this late! Aloha! happy dreams of Maui!

You can find all kinds of fast food near the airport. The Queen Kaahumanu Center is nearby and has lots of choices too. If you can make it to Lahaina, Cheeseburger in Paradise is there along with many other choices...

Have a great trip !

Pa'ia Fish Market has great Ono and Mahi Burgers. The prices are good and it is near the airport. If you are really on a tight budget, head over to the Costco for a pizza.

Paia is about 8 miles from the airport, heading away from Kaanapali.

I would second the choice of Queen Kaahumanu Center. It has a big variety of places to eat and reasonably priced. If I'm not mistaken there's also an IHOP right there too. I don't think I'd be going to Paia right off the plane if I'm staying in Kaanapali. Don't you need a membership to get into Costco? We don't even have one within 100 miles of our house.

If you want to begin your vacation in Maui with a trip to the food court at the mall, then I suppose the mall would be a good choice. Personally, other than the Korean BBQ or Sushi Go, I can't think of any thing I'd eat at the mall, and even then only when I'm already there. There is a Maui Tacos but to me that is hardly a reason to go to the mall. Macy's is reason to go to the mall, but I digress.

There are many places along Dairy road as you leave the airport--Thai, vegetarian Vietnamese, so-so Italian, Quiznos, Burger King and the rest of the typical shopping center fare. Ko Ko Ichiban-Ya has some pretty great Japanese fast food, there is a Denny's (actually a pretty bad Denny's and way overpriced for Denny's food).

But, wouldn't you rather get away from the bustle of big box anchored shopping centers and traffic in Kahului and eat someplace that feels like you are on vacation on Maui? If you head out on Kuihelani Hwy towards Ka`anapali you will be at Ma`alaea in about 10 minutes. The Ocean Center is here, and there you will find several places to sit by the water, sip on a mai tai and watch the boats on the harbor. Ma`alaea Grill is great, prices are reasonable (about $9-10 for lunch). The Blue Marlin is downstairs, right on the water. Buzz's Wharf has some burgers and pretty good sandwiches, but I think they may only serve pupus from 3 - 5. There might be something else new in there too--I know there has been some remodeling going on in one of the other restaurant locations upstairs.

The Pa`ia Fish Market is amazing, but that time of day you'll be hitting the afternoon traffic and you'll never find a place to park. When you are in Pa`ia, by all means eat there, but to make a trip out of you way into Pa`ia town in the late afternoon just for a sandwich is folly and would most likely end up as an exercise in frustration.

As someone suggested, you could wait until you hit Lahaina, but, then again, you have afternoon drive traffic and you'll have to park at one of the public lots. If you feel you can hold out, and you can make it to Lahaina, keep going beyond Lahaina town, stay off of Front Street, and make a right at the Lahaina Cannery Mall. Go through the parking lot and when you come out on in front of the Old Lahaina Lu`au on Front Street turn right. Right next to the Lu`au is Aloha Mixed Plate. Easy to park, $2.50 mai tai's for happy hour, you can sit outside near the water and have some great, cheap local-style food. Maybe you drive through the Krispy Kreme by the airport (hmmm, I always wondered why they built that there--now it makes sense) and grab a snack to hold you over until you get to Aloha Mixed Plate.

Ooops! I meant your OTHER right--you turn left at the light at the Cannery Mall!

Listen to Here_Today_Gone2Maui, she gives good advice.

And by the way anybody can buy pizza at a Costco but only if the food stand is located outside of the store. Sorry I didn't remember that in Maui the food might be INSIDE the Costco store, and you need to flash the membership card to get inside. Here in Southern California, the food is OUTSIDE of Costco, and you don't need a membership card to buy the food outside!

Yeah, the food is inside at Maui Costco. K-Mart has a Little Caesar's inside, but I have never eaten there so I have no opinion on that at all!

Thanks for all the advice. Will probably take a snack with us and follow the advice of heretodaygone2maui, and stop in Ma'alaea or wait until we get to Lahaina to eat. Want to get into the tropical feel. Definitely will not eat @ Costco! We have a rule when we are on vacation; we try not to eat @ any fastfood places or food chains such as Burger King, Subway, McDonalds, etc. That's just not vacation to us! Thanks, Deb

Just another suggestion --

While heading toward Lahaina/Kaanapali, be sure to stop and get a fresh pineapple at the roadside stand on the right side of Rt. 30. The stand isn't too far past Ma`alaea. You'll be happy you stopped!

I'll second the Blue Marlin in Ma`alaea, good service and a very reasonable price (for Maui) too.