27 Best Restaurants in Maui, Hawaii

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

As it's smack-dab in the middle of Kahului, this Mediterranean restaurant is truly a convenient choice for lunch or dinner. The menu features everything from salads to pasta, and the tapas menu (available from 4 to 9 pm) changes weekly and always has an excellent selection of dishes.

This colorful, airy, and brightly painted hangout is right in the thick of things, so the people-watching is excellent. The food is great, too, and the menu features everything from burgers and fish to four different preparations of duck.

A Maui institution since 1969, Charley's is known for satiating your cowboy-size breakfast appetite: omelets, pancakes, and sausage biscuits with country gravy lure customers in. Charley's also serves hearty portions for lunch and dinner, including handmade pizzas and awesome burgers.

Not only is this popular restaurant, an outpost of a Vermont-based operation, a great place to take the kids, but it's also a valued member of the community, giving to local nonprofits with proceeds from benefits held each Tuesday night and sourcing local, organic, and sustainable ingredients, including 100% organically grown wheat for the made-fresh-daily dough. Although it only accepts reservations for large groups, it offers "call-ahead seating," so you can put your name on the wait list before you arrive.

An open-air lanai offers a breathtaking view of the golf course and the majestic backdrop of Iao Valley and the West Maui mountains at this fantastic addition to Maui's culinary scene. The menu takes you on a trip to Buenos Aires, with an assortment of emparedados (sandwiches); house-made chimichurri; and tomahawk, ribeye, sirloin, and skirt steaks, as well as lamb and chicken.

Nestled on the slopes of Haleakala, this bistro evokes trattorias in northern Italy, serving homestyle food with a dash of Italian. Start the day an egg dish or the indulgent white chocolate macadamia nut pancakes; opt for a panini at lunch; or, for dinner, enjoy anything from specialty pasta dishes and signature pizzas to prime rib to the local favorite loco moco.

It's been a popular casual spot with locals since it first opened in 1989, and to be around that long, it's got to be doing something right. You can get everything from huevos rancheros to local-style fried rice at breakfast; plate lunches, salads, wraps, and more for lunch; and fresh fish, chicken, steak, and pasta for dinner; plus there are separate pizza, pupu, and bar menus. Since this restaurant buys its fish from Lahaina Harbor anglers, the catch of the day is always a good bet.

Both fun and photo-worthy, this restaurant features classic Peruvian dishes with a Maui influence thanks to the incorporation of fresh, local ingredients. In addition to serving both lunch and dinner, it offers a daily happy hour (actually, three hours from 2 to 5 pm) and live music or DJs on Friday and Saturday nights.

One of the go-to places for airport comers and goers, this popular Italian restaurant also draws a steady crowd of residents, mainly for business lunches. Meatballs, sausages, and sauces are all made in-house, a long list of sandwiches is available all day, and the affordable salads are big enough to share. Substitutions or special requests are not recommended.

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 and vegan selections, kebabs, and biryanis.

Don't be fooled by the casual warehouse setting, as this family-owned and -operated restaurant is one of the best places for Thai food on Maui. Dishes here are made using fresh ingredients, homemade sauces, and imported specialty items, and your food comes out quickly and hot through a self-service window in the open-air dining area.

This off-the-beaten-path izakaya-style Japanese eatery is worth the trek to sleepy Haiku. The eclectic menu includes everything from specialty French fries and fusion sushi rolls to sashimi and some of the best tempura around—all based on what's fresh from local farmers and fishermen. Nuka is the Japanese word for rice bran, and the restaurant mills its own rice and creates pickles from the byproduct of the milling process.

A stop at this popular coffee spot, tucked just behind the main buildings on Hana Highway, is a great way to start or end the day. Grab a coffee or tea along with avocado toast or banana bread for breakfast or lunch, or come during happy hour (2 to 5 pm) for a reasonably priced, island-fresh cocktail followed by live music (four nights a week) or trivia (Wednesday night).

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. This is the type of place where you want to sit at the bar and talk story with the bartender (if they’re not busy), and, though it may not seem like it at first glance, this is a family-friendly restaurant—it even has a keiki (kids) menu. 

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 as well. All menu items are made in-house—try Grandma’s classic chicken mole recipe, which packs in more than 25 ingredients.

Locals have been flocking to this off-the-beaten-path gem for years, lured in by the reliably delicious family-style Vietnamese cuisine at decent prices. It's tucked behind a nondescript overpass—and only recently did management put a sign on the building—but you can't go wrong with the green papaya salad, mixed fondue, and the make-your-own Vietnamese burritos.

The breakfasts and lunches served here are crafted by chefs who use various cooking styles and techniques to showcase Maui's seasonal bounty. Menus change every 62 days to ensure that dishes use the freshest farm ingredients. It's not only a restaurant but a market, too, featuring chef-crafted spices, rubs, and sauces made from local herbs and vegetables.

The menu at Top Chef Sheldon Simeon's newest restaurant features "Hawaii classics," namely a fusion of Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, and Portuguese flavors. Chef Sheldon has become a culinary ambassador for this diverse cuisine, and the menu here showcases the best of it.

Executive chef Tom Muromoto is a local boy who loves to cook modern, upscale Hawaiian food, and he augments the various fresh fish dishes on his menu with items influenced by Hawaii's ethnic mix. This casual, open-air restaurant is the only place on Maui—maybe in Hawaii—where you can have a Native Hawaiian combination plate that is as healthful as it is authentic. Sunday brunch, complete with strolling Hawaiian musicians and hula dancers, is renowned here; and if you're around for any holiday, chow down at the amazing holiday brunch buffets.