75 Best Restaurants in Maui, Hawaii

Delicious artisan sandwiches, classic burgers, and signature items make 808 on Main a local favorite. The pupus, cocktails, and draft beers will make you wish the place was open later (10–3 pm). Check out its counterpart, 808 Deli in Kihei, for breakfast, paninis, and gourmet hot dogs.

This popular spot began as a French–Vietnamese bakery on Oahu and has branched into popular small restaurants sprinkled throughout the Islands, with some locations set up as kiosks in malls and others, like this one, as stand-alone spots with a few picnic tables out front. Vietnamese pho (soup laden with seafood or rare beef, fresh basil, bean sprouts, and lime) shares menu space with local-style saimin and plates of barbecue or spicy chicken, beef, pork, or local fish served with jasmine rice.

You'd never guess by the nondescript exterior and the location in an old pineapple cannery-cum-strip-mall, but this restaurant has the feel of a hip urban eatery and is popular with locals for breakfast and lunch, as well as happy hour and dinner—when the bar side opens, the candles come out, and it's time for martinis and fresh fish.

This extremely popular purveyor of all food "local" is bright, shiny, comfortable, and just minutes from Kahului airport. Try the signature mahimahi tempura, loco moco, Hawaiian plate, chicken katsu, and daily mixed bentos; and rest assured that everything on the menu is delicious and portions are gigantic. There's an "express" location in Kihei, but we recommend the happy, always-crowded Kahului location.

While the rest of Makawao Town eases into the day, fuel up with a hearty breakfast at this garden café in the shade of a sprawling Argentinian coral tree. With options like huevos rancheros, French toast, and house-made biscuits and gravy, it feels like Sunday brunch every day.

After more than 30 years, chef Beverly Gannon's first restaurant remains a culinary destination, serving exquisite dishes like Bev's Famous Crab Pizza, sashimi Napoleon, barbecue pork sandwiches, and the macadamia nut–crusted fresh catch, as well as daily and nightly specials, hand-crafted cocktails, and local beers. The rambling former plantation store has two dining rooms, both of which are usually full, so reservations are encouraged.

Just outside of Hana, a former food truck has been transformed into a permanent location with a large, covered patio, real restrooms, and beautiful wood-fired pizzas, calzones, and salads that highlight the vegetables from Hana Farms. While you wait for your food enjoy the free Wi-Fi (rare in the area) and peruse the farm stand for tropical fruits, banana bread, home and bath gifts, and more. For some of the only nightlife in the area, drop by on Friday nights for live music from local musicians.

Fresh, local produce features greatly here, and the menu mixes tasty American fare with local favorites like poke bowls. The quality of food and the prices are reflective of a more upscale restaurant, but the atmosphere is casual (no swimwear allowed, however). The bar, with its decadent craft cocktails (and mocktails) and local beer selection, is one of the area's few nightspots and tends to get a bit lively in the evening.

Chef–owner Joey Macadangdang, who has been at the helm of fine-dining kitchens for most of his career, brings his good taste to the masses with this unfussy restaurant featuring Filipino, Asian, and American fusion dishes. He's a longtime champion of local producers, so many of his recipes highlight ingredients grown on Maui. Don't be fooled by its under-the-radar location in a strip mall; there's a good chance you'll find yourself returning here several times during your trip.

This unassuming but 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, with two eggs, ground beef patty, rice, and brown gravy. Unique menu items include corned beef hash and catfish at breakfast and a calamari sandwich at lunch. There are two additional locations in Lahaina Gateway (just outside the fire zone) and at Maui Coast Hotel.

Slow down as you drive through the little roadside village of Olowalu so you don't miss this adorable farmhouse-chic restaurant and pie shop, where everything is prepared with care. All the breads are house-made and excellent, and most ingredients are sourced locally—you can't go wrong with a sandwich or a burger with Kula onions for lunch or comfort food like pot pies for an early dinner. Take note if you're in a rush: this is a big fan favorite, and lines are often very long.

The menu at this oceanfront standout features interesting local-style Hawaiian food fusions. There's a focus on ingredients that promote local sustainability, and the cocktail and wine lists are great, too. Daily brunch and happy hours keep guests happy all day, and a late-night menu on Friday and Saturday features raw fish and Wagyu plus discounted cocktails.

Few restaurants in Maui have the reputation of this North Shore eatery, tucked into a small cove just off tthe Road to Hana. You’ll pay for the quality of your meal, but it’s worth the splurge—the fish comes from as close as Maui’s shores to as far away as the deep waters of Antarctica, and the daily menu often tells the story of that catch. This is the place that you must make reservations far in advance (as far out as 12 months), as it's the bucket-list restaurant for most visitors; lunch reservations are a bit more attainable.

Spanning more than 5 acres, the flagship location of Maui Brewing Company includes a restaurant, brewery, tasting room, gift shop, and outdoor space featuring backyard games and a garden. Craft pizzas, burgers, salads, and more highlight a lively menu, as do craft cocktails made with Kupu Spirits that are distilled on-site. Step behind the scenes with a one-hour guided brewery tour on the weekend.

"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 tables that sit 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 Maui's best sushi. The service is impeccable, and the standards are high, making this a great place for a memorable meal. 

If you're okay with communal picnic tables, or taking your meal to a nearby beach, head to this place, which serves, arguably, the best fresh fish—choose from four to six types and four preparations on any given day—for the best prices on this side of the island. For non-fish fans, the menu has burgers, as well as chicken and pasta options. There is also a location in Kihei.

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 moussaka.

One of Hana’s only sit-down dining options serves frittatas and pancakes at breakfast and everything from salads and sandwiches to hearty steak, pork, or fish entrées at lunch and dinner. Local produce and Maui beef feature greatly on the menu.

Roy Yamaguchi is a James Beard Award–winning chef and the granddaddy of East-meets-West cuisine. His eponymous Maui restaurant, located next to the golf course clubhouse near Kaanapali's main entrance, features signature dishes like fire-grilled, Szechuan-spiced baby back ribs, Roy's original blackened ahi, and hibachi-style grilled salmon, as well as an exceptionally user-friendly wine list.

Open for lunch and dinner, Sam Sato's is a local favorite for noodles, manju (Japanese pastry filled with sweet bean paste), and plate lunches. The menu includes favorites like "dry noodles," beef tomato, omelets, and fried rice, and the dry mein, saimin, and chow fun come in different-size portions with add-ins to satisfy every noodle craving; try a teriyaki beef stick or two while you wait for your bowl. When it's busy—which is almost always—you will likely have to wait for a table or a stool at the counter; write your name on the little yellow pad at the takeout window.

Built in the 1960s at the Napili Kai Beach Resort, before there were laws forbidding construction so close to the beach, this restaurant is literally footsteps from gorgeous Napili Bay. Wear your beach wrap to breakfast and enjoy the signature oven-baked pancakes or the beautifully delicious Molokai sweet potato egg frittata; the menu also offers fish from Hawaiian waters and fresh local produce.

Maui Ocean Center's signature restaurant is a great choice for seafood (aquarium admission is not required to dine here) and offers harbor and ocean views from its open-air perch. Although the restaurant promotes heart-healthy cuisine—with dishes made using sustainable seafood and canoe plants (i.e., those brought to Hawaii by early Polynesian explorers) like taro, bananas, and ulu—you can still enjoy an indulgent dessert or a drink from the well-priced cocktail menu.

The desserts on display will surely make you drool at one of Maui's best bakeries, where every day is cake day, the strawberry Florentines are outrageously good, and the cream horns are renowned. Other more-substantial and equally exceptional breakfast and lunch offerings include everything from mouthwatering pancakes to gourmet sandwiches on house-made bread.

Top Chef celebrity Sheldon Simeon opened this trendy lunch counter in a small Kahului warehouse, and it's easy to spot—just look for the line of people waiting in the parking lot. Locals and visitors swarm here for the affordable and ono (delicious) plates of mochiko chicken, pork belly, ulu mac salad, beet box, and garlic shrimp, and although there are only a couple of stools in the restaurant, many people dine on the curb or take their food to-go. Don't forget to ask for some chili pepper water!

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 Maui and include well-priced non-alcoholic options. You can enjoy happy hour from 2 to 5 pm and live music from 5 to 9 pm daily.

The meals at this charming vegan restaurant are almost too gorgeous to eat (don't be surprised to find edible flowers or a rainbow of fruit adorning your meal). Choose from hearty soups, salads, sandwiches, and smoothies, plus rice bowls piled high with healthy ingredients. The welcoming staff are happy to answer questions or offer suggestions, making this a great option for non-vegans.

This longtime Lahaina oceanfront classic is run by the same group of wonderful folks who bring you Old Lahaina Luau. This is the place to try a "plate lunch"—a protein served in Asian-style preparation, along with two scoops of rice and macaroni salad—and also features Hawaiian favorites like laulau, kalua pork, and poi from the restaurant's own farm. Take your plate to a table so close to the ocean you just might get wet. Oh, and don't forget the mai tai!

Its proximity to Maalaea Harbor means this joint is always jumping, and the look is funky, beachy, and kitschy. The draw here is definitely the barbecue—ribs, chicken, and prime rib, all smoked on-site—but so is the Tuesday night lobster fest and the Wednesday night ribs fest. In West Maui, there's another location in the Napili Plaza shopping center.