How to Find the Best Maui Restaurants
Posted on Mon, Apr 28, 2008 by Sheila
Since I’ve had the opportunity to visit all the islands, I’d have to say that Maui has some of the best restaurants in Hawaii. On top of the ono (delicious) food, many of Maui’s restaurants also have outstanding ocean views. That’s definitely a bonus to enjoy when you are on vacation!
So, how do you find the best restaurants in Maui? It’s really not that difficult. There’s lots of great resources that we’ll explore here. So, let’s take a look.
Go Visit Hawaii Picks
The following restaurants are ones that we particularly like. (Just a reminder, we’re not compensated in any form for choosing these restaurants. We like these restaurants based on our experience.)
Restaurants with an outstanding view: Maui has many, many great restaurants with lovely 
views. Two restaurants that have particularly outstanding views are Kula Lodge in the Upcountry (especially perfect for breakfast after watching Haleakala sunrise) and Plantation House Restaurant in Kapalua (especially good value at breakfast and lunch).
The one restaurant I wish I could move back home with me: Pineapple Grill in Kapalua is an outstanding restaurant that I just tried for the first time on my recent visit and I will be back. The restaurant is set on Kapalua Bay Golf Course and has distant ocean views. I love the setting and the food was delicious. Do save room for their famous pineapple upside down cake, because it is worth the trip alone. Here’s a money saving tip for you: Pineapple Grill is offering a three-course sunset dinner special for about $32 per person. You must be seated before 6pm. We chose the sunset dinner special and thought it was exceptional and you just can’t beat the value. If they don’t immediately offer you the sunset dinner special menu, ask for it. We revisited in 2011 and fell in love with this restaurant even more. We think Pineapple Grill serves the best food in Maui.
Best beach front restaurant where you can dig your toes in the sand: Barefoot Bar of the Hula Grill on Kaanapali Beach. We love Hula Grill’s Not-So-Ordinary-Ketchup with guava.
Best over-hyped restaurant, but we still like it: Mama’s Fish House in Paia. It’s the one restaurant that your friends who’ve been to Maui will likely ask you if you went to Mama’s Fish House. They have very good food on a beach front setting. Their seafood is so fresh that the menu changes daily to tell you what fishing boats delivered the day’s catches.It is pricey, though. It’s easy to over order here, so beware of that for your waistline and wallet’s sake. I’d caution you to order just a course at a time as the portions tend to be generous. To avoid crowds, I like dining here either very early or very late in evening. See my review on Mama’s Fish House.
Most beautiful setting for a good though expensive lunch: The Beach House on DT Fleming Beach in Kapalua (at the Ritz-Carlton). The beach is so beautiful, I don’t mind paying for the view.
Best All Around – Kimos in Lahaina has a very nice setting with a good ocean view. It’s good for both families and couples. I also like Leilani’s in Kaanapali’s Whaler’s Village and if you go, save room for a hula pie dessert.
Best Value with Million Dollar View: Aloha Mixed Plate serves up local favorites right on the waters edge in Lahaina. I especially like their Kalua pork sandwich.
Best Place for Local Breakfast or Lunch: Honolua Store in Kapalua. This store is good for picnic supplies, too. You can take your food to the beach or dine on one of their outdoor picnic tables.
Best Out of the Way Restaurant: Hali’imaile General Store in the Upcountry area offers a very tasty menu with a unique Upcountry setting. I think it’s a nice place to grab lunch the day you leave because it’s about 10 minutes away from the airport. See my review of Haliimaile General Store.
Best Sushi: Sansei Restaurant and Sushi Bar located in both Kihei and Kapalua.
Best Restaurant for Breakfast after Watching Sunrise at Haleakala: In historic upcountry town of Makawao check out the unassuming, but uber tasty T. Komoda Store & Bakery for the pastry lover’s dream. T Komoda is famous for their cream puffs, malasadas and long johns. In Kula, have breakfast at Kula Lodge with outstanding views.
Best New Restaurants Everyone’s Raving Over: Monkeypod Kitchen in Wailea serves fresh, tasty, locally-sourced food at relatively reasonable prices. Monkeypod is one of Peter Merriman’s restaurants and in our opinion, it’s his best and also his least expensive. Save room for one of their cream pies that are made fresh daily. Star Noodle in Lahania is definitely worth a visit for their fresh Asian Fusion fare. Prices at Star Noodle are reasonable, too.
Unique Treat off the Road to Hana: Ice cream made of coconut milk at Coconut Glen’s . Their coconut ice cream is all natural and served in a coconut shell with a spoon carved out of a coconut shell. Coconut Glen’s is located between mile markers 27 and 28 on the road to Hana.
Online Resourses and Apps
Yelp
You can research lots of reviews from Yelp.com before you go to Maui. Also, you can download their app to your smart phone to find restaurants while you’re on Maui.
TripAdvisor
Hundreds of TripAdvisor members have reviewed and rated Maui restaurants. You’ll find a mixture of reviews written by local residents as well as visitors. I’ll organize TripAdvisor reviews by geography and concentrate on the areas where you’ll likely be staying or sight-seeing.
TripAdvisor’s West Maui Restaurants (includes Kapalua, Kaanapali, and Lahaina)
TripAdvisor’s South Maui Restaurants
TripAdvisor’s Central Maui Restaurants
TripAdvisor’s East Maui
- Paia Restaurants
- Hana Restaurants (FYI – This list is lacking reviews.)
TripAdvisor’s Upcountry Maui
Guidebooks
- I’ve found the restaurant recommendations in the Maui Revealed Ultimate Guidebook to be reliable.
- Fodor’s also has an interactive list of Maui restaurants. In addition to their own ratings, they have incorporated user ratings. Frommer’s has a list, too, but I wouldn’t waste my time with it.
Other Resources
- Winter 2007 Maui No Ka Oi magazine readers’ picks organized. in a number of excellent categories. (If you’re research time is limited, I’d stick with this list along with my own picks listed below.)
- Maui News 2009 Best of Maui
- Maui News 2011 Best of Maui
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I know that there are several nice Maui fans who read Go Visit Hawaii. (Ahem, attention Kris and David!) So, please chime in with your favorite places to dine in Maui.
There are a couple of restaurants that I wouldn’t recommend to friends and family. So I’ll post those in the comments.
Going to other Hawaiian Islands? Check out our recommendations for Kauai restaurants, Oahu’s restaurants and Hawaii’s Big Island restaurants.
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Here are a couple restaurants I would avoid:
- Rusty Harpoon at Whalers Village in Kaanapali – neither the food or the service has been good here.
- Swan Court breakfast buffet at the Kaanapali Hyatt. This place felt like grand central station.
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I know it would never make your list, but Bubba Gumps in Lahaina is on my list of picks. Yeah it’s cheesy, but it’s over the water and they have great coconut shrimp.
Run, Forest run!
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Ha! Andy – have you ever met a coconut shrimp that you didn’t like?
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I might start a new blog – ICanHasCoconutShrimp.com.
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I second your thoughts on the Rusty Harpoon. If you happen to be on Maui on a Saturday during College Football season and want to make friends with a few new drinking buddies while your wife’s having a spa day at the Westin, than go for it. If you’re looking for a nice dinner, forget it.
In fact, turn around, Leilani’s is right behind you.
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And as for our favorites, Leilani’s is probably the best in Whalers Village if you happen to be staying in that area. We also like the fun vibe at Cheeseburger in Paradise in Lahaina and head over to BJ’s Pizzeria (also in Lahaina) when we’re homesick for some Chicago style pizza.
We have to confess, though, that while we are Hawaiians at heart, we aren’t too fond of seafood, which I imagine puts us in the minority. We did stop at Kimo’s for the first time last week and it was a very nice atmosphere as mentioned here. Plenty of seating for larger parties, too (reservations for larger groups a good idea).
Now, for a little plug for our favorite resort in Ka’anapali, the Sheraton Maui Resort. If you happen to be in the area and want to plan a very special evening, check out their website for the Dinner Under the Stars reservation. While it will set you back a few hundred dollars, we did it last year for our anniversary and it was absolutely unforgettable. **chills** Truly magical.
Last, but not least, the Aloha Mixed Plate behind the Lahaina Cannery Mall was a great find. Some great local food and some decent prices. Definitely would recommend it for lunch, especially before a day of shopping on Front Street.
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Hi Kris – thanks for adding your recommendations. We like Leilani’s, too. We tend to go into seafood overload when we go to Hawaii.
Regarding watching college football….I’d definitely choose the football over a spa treatment. I’m definitely a football chick.
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Hi Sheila, you asked about our favorite Maui dining spots. We don’t dine out all that often when we’re in the Islands. When we do, our tastes are pretty simple. Here’s a list of a few of our favorite Maui places.
Penne Pasta Cafe:
180 Dickenson St., Lahaina
Reasonably priced Italian food, including wine, served in fair portions. Order at the counter and they’ll serve you at your indoor or sidewalk table. Our favorite is the baked penne. Interestingly this place is owned by the same people who own Maui Taco. $8 to $15.
Peggy Sue’s:
Azeka Mauka Center, Kihei
Burgers, fries, chicken, hotdogs, fish, etc., all served up in a 1950′s style diner atmosphere. The highlight of the place for us is the juke box full of oldies. Get there early, the place is small and it fills up fast. $10-$15
Makawao Garden Cafe (Formerly Cafe O’lei):
3669 Baldwin Ave, Makawao
The menu is vegetarian friendly with an assortment of sandwiches, soups and salads, all on the lighter side. Our favorite is their great crab sandwich. The setting is a quaint little outdoor patio. Just shoo the chickens aside and pick a table under an umbrella. A great place for lunch. $8 to $15.
Well, not an ocean view at any of these places, but you can always get the food to go.
David
PS – And how could I forget McDonalds and those great fried taro pies.
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Hi David – thanks for your recommendations. They all sound tasty and light on the wallet – two very good restaurant qualities!
I like the taro pies, too. There is something kind of fascinating about eating something that shade of purple.
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