Maui Dining Suggestions
MAUI RESTAURANTS & EATERIES THAT WE FEEL ARE WORTHY OF YOUR CONSIDERATION!
("WE'RE NOT FOOD CRITICS, BUT WE KNOW WHAT WE LIKE.")
Our personal favorites are in green lettering...
All listings are displayed alphabetically...
.
"Cheap!" "Inexpensive" "Moderate" "High!"
The above color coding is intended to serve as a "relative" guide only - i.e. a $15 cheeseburger is "High!" while a $5.95 cheeseburger is "Inexpensive."
Bon Appetit! Enjoy!
.maui-angels.com index page
. . . New 2 Us . . .
our two most recent "dishcoveries"
.
Lahaina: Star*Noodle 286 Kupuohi St. (Lahaina Business Park) 667-5400 This stellar new eatery
takes the old time noodle house concept to a whole new level. If there ever was a "fine dining"
noodle house, this is it! Great food, great decor and great service. Go see for yourself!
Open Daily; Lunch 10:30AM-3PM ~ Dinner 5:30-10PM (Find Star*Noodle on Facebook)
.
Kihei: Sharky's Family Fun Center 41 E Lipoa Street. 808 874 5115 Owner Craig Snyder's fun new
"family restaurant," in our opinion, will have a long and rewarding run. There's too much going on
here to cover it all, but if you have younger kids, this is the place for you! (Even if you don't have
kids, still try it!) To learn more, check out this about us page from their web site.
= GO HERE FOR ADDITIONAL RESTAURANT RECOMMENDATIONS =
.
= GO HERE FOR ISLAND HEALTH FOOD STORES & VEGETARIAN CAFÉ LISTINGS =
New! We've redone
the guide to show our listings by region. ("Mo' bettah!")
=
South
Maui ~ West Maui ~ Central Maui ~ Upcountry =
(All
establishments are still listed alpha within a region.)
SOUTH
MAUI ~ Kihei - Wailea - Makena - Ma'alaea
.
Kihei:
Aroma
D'Italia Ristorante Foodland Shopping
Ctr, S. Kihei
Road,
879-0133. A "homey" dining room with some outdoor
seating.
Old-world service, very good Italian cuisine and great
desserts
at fair prices. Open nightly.
.
Kihei:
Café O'Lei Kihei 2439 S.
Kihei Rd. (upstairs at the Rainbow
Mall)
Serving
local seafood, steaks, sushi and one of our "Top-5" favorite
desserts,
a delightful Kona Coffee Creme Brulée! Open for lunch
and
dinner daily except Mondays. Dinner reservations are
strongly
recommended, 891-1368.
cafeolei.com/kihei
.
Wailea: Capische?
at
Hotel Wailea Maui (formerly Diamond
Resort) 879-2224. One of
the
most romantic restaurants on the island, with one of the very best wine
lists, too.
Featuring
fine Northern Italian cuisine (with subtle French influences),
every seat in
the
house has a panoramic view of the south Maui coast. Great food, great service!
Visit their web
site...
.
Kihei:
Dina's
SandWitch at the Sugar Beach Resort, 145
N. Kihei Rd.
This
is a "smallish" place that's more a local bar that serves
truly great
sandwiches
&
pupus! (Homemade
pasta dinners every other Wednesday.)
Call
879-3262 for orders to go...
.
Kihei:
East
Ocean Chinese Restaurant 2463 S
Kihei Rd - 879 1988 The following quote is from an
online
review that someone else posted, but it says almost exactly what
we would've said had we
not
found it first! "I am generally leery of strip mall establishments,
but step inside East Ocean
in
Kihei and you discover this beautifully appointed restaurant. East Ocean
is located on the
second
floor of the Kamaole Shopping Ctr, adjacent to a Denny's. The food is marvelous,
the
service attentive and prices reasonable. It's the best Chinese food I've
had outside
of
Chinatown in San Francisco." Our thoughts precisely, especially
so
the Chinatown/SF reference!
.
Kihei: Fat
Daddy's Smokehouse Bar-B-Q 1913
S. Kihei Rd. 879 8711 - Delicious Texas-style
BBQ
prepared from old family recipes. This place is small, casual and worth
checking out.
Open 11AM to
Midnight, seven days a week. (Also, consider their new Fat
Boy Burger burger joint, in the
Kukui Mall shopping
center next to Starbucks. Currently our favorite Island "burgers and fries"
place!)
fatdaddysmaui.com
.
Wailea:
Matteo's
Pizzeria 100 Wailea Ike Dr. (near
the
Shops at Wailea) 874-1234
This
eatery has some of the best (and least expensive) Italian
cuisine to be had anywhere
on
the Island. Their 10" "personal pizzas" (from $10)
offer a clue here. We enjoyed a great
spinach
salad, and a "smallish," very tasty meatball sub in addition to the aforementioned
pizzas
we tried on our second visit. Here you place your order at the counter,
when you
enter
the restaurant, and your meal is served to you at both indoor and lanai
tables.
Open
Mon through Friday, 11am 'til 9pm - Sat/Sun 5 to 9pm
matteospizzeria.com
.
Kihei / Lahaina:
Outback
Steakhouses Pi'ilani Shopping Center, Kihei,
879-8400 and in Lahaina,
above
Barnes & Noble (across the highway
from Long's Drugs) 665-1822.
Put another shrimp on the barbie, mate!
outbacksteakhouse.maui
Wailea / Lahaina:
Ruth's
Chris Steak House 874-8880
Generous portions of
exceptional "American" food in a casual, yet
elegant setting, upstairs
at
The Shops
at Wailea shopping center.
Often voted "best steaks"
in local opinion polls.
ruthschris.com/wailea
.
Kihei / Kapalua:
Sansei
Restaurant &
Sushi Bar Voted
"best
sushi" in
many polls. Superb! The
Kapalua Resort location is @ 600 Office Rd.,
and their central Kihei
location is at the Foodland Shopping Center.
"Heavy discounts" on
sushi from 10PM to 1AM, Thurs., Fri. & Sat.
For big savings ask about their "early
bird" special pricing!
sanseihawaii.com
.
Kihei: Sarento's
On The Beach 2980 S. Kihei Rd. 875-7555
Located on the ocean
at the Maui Oceanfront Inn. Italian with
an island flair. Great
food, great service, good views!
sarentos_maui.com
.
Kihei:
Shaka
Sandwich &
Pizza 1770
S. Kihei Rd. 874-0331 Open
daily
10:30 AM to 9 PM (10 PM on Fridays/Saturdays). Noted for
their
"New
York style" pizzas & Philly cheese
steak sandwiches.
Diagonally
across from the Kukui Mall. Chance 'um, folks!
.
Kihei: The
South Shore Tiki Lounge
1913
S. Kihei Rd., adjacent to the Foodland Super
Market.
An unusual bar/lounge/restaurant serving
pizzas,
gourmet sausage sandwiches and one of
Maui's
better cheeseburgers.
southshoretikilounge.com
.
Wailea:
Wolfgang Puck's Spago
at the Four Seasons Resort Wailea
3900
Wailea Alanui, 874-8000.
"Just like L.A!" Dinner
only.
wolfgangpuck-maui.com
.
Kihei: Spices
2259 S. Kihei Rd. at the Maui Coast Hotel 891 8860
Pleasant
dining rooms with well prepared menu items served ala
carte.
Loved their sausage and kale soup!
spicesmaui.com
.
Kihei:
Stella
Blues Café Azeka Mauka Shopping
Center. Great food with
casual
indoor/outdoor seating. Their menu is, essentially, "All-American,"
with
steaks, local seafood, 'comfort food,' pasta &
more. Recommended
for
breakfast, lunch and their "ono" (delicious) vegetarian
dishes, too!
Go
here for photos and contact info.
.
Ma'alaea:
The
Waterfront 50 Hauoli St., (in the
Milowai
condominium) at
Ma'alaea
harbor. 244-9028 Nice dining room overlooking a picturesque boat
harbor
with outdoor (lanai) seating, too. Excellent seafood and continental
cuisine
including a superb wine list. Serving dinner from 5PM.
Resort-to-dressy
attire. waterfrontrestaurant.net
.
Kihei: WokStar
International Noodle Café 1913
S. Kihei Rd. (next door to
"Life's
A Beach.") 495-0066 Their menu proclaims "Simple ... yet
unique"
which
we found to be quite true! Their offerings are somewhat limited,
but
the four dishes we tried on our first visit were all exceptionally
good;
a yummy chicken satay, chicken pot stickers with a Thai chili
aioli
for dipping, a Thai red curry with beef over rice and their "Indo
Peanut
Stir Fry" featuring sautéed veggies and shrimp in a spicy
peanut
sauce with thick egg noodles topped with cilantro & bean
sprouts.
Open daily, 9AM to Midnight (!), this smallish place is
definitely
"happening"
and packing them in! (BYOB OK)
wokstar.com
.
WEST
MAUI ~ Lahaina - Honokowai - Kahana - Napili
-
Kapalua
.
Napili:
The
Gazebo overlooking the ocean at the Napili
Shores
Condominium, 5315 Lower Honoapi'ilani Rd.
A wonderful, fun place for breakfast and lunch!
Open
daily from 7:30AM - 2:00PM
.
Lahaina: Gerard's
174
Lahainaluna Road, just off Front St.
Delicious French
cuisine in a lovely, intimate atmosphere.
Open for dinner
from 6PM Reservations 661-8939
gerardsmaui.com
.
Lahaina: Lahaina
Coolers 180 Dickenson St., 661-7082
Open 8AM 'til 2AM, full
menu served 'til Midnight.
Creative menu in a room
with a casual, "surfer" feel.
.
Ka'anapali:
Hula
Grill at Whalers Village Shopping Center.
On the most popular beach
on the Island. Recommended for
local "catch of
the day" fish entrees. Lots of vintage Hawaiian
collectibles used in
the decor. 667-6636 for reservations.
.
Lahaina: Kobe
Japanese Steak House 136 Dickenson St. 667-5555.
Featuring teppanyaki-style
food preparation, and a great sushi bar.
Gets our "yum! yum! yum!"
rating without question!
.
Lahaina: CJ's
Deli &
Diner aka "The
Comfort Zone" 2580
Keka'a Drive
in
The
Fairway Shops at Ka'anapali Resort. 667-0968 Open daily from
6:30
AM 'til 7:30 PM for breakfast, lunch & dinner...especially noted for
their
"onolicious" burgers! Visit
cjsmaui.com
to learn more . . .
.
Kahana:
The China Boat 4474 Lower Honoapi'ilani
Road, 669-5089.
One
of our favorite island Chinese restaurants. A comfortable and
pleasant
environment, decent food. Recommended.
.
Lahaina:
Mala
"An
Ocean Tavern" 1307 Front
St. (behind Safeway) 667-9394 - Reservations
suggested
for larger parties. A Chef Mark Ellman restaurant. "Very hip"
best describes this
popular
eatery. A tapas & wine kind of place, we enjoyed
their crunchy calamari, rich potato
soup,
homemade totilla chips & guacamole, a great Kobe
beef cheeseburger with "pommes
frites,"
and an absolutely "killer" flan for dessert! Highly recommended! Open for
lunch &
dinner,
Mon/Fri, dinner only Sat/Sun. (Now
at the Marriott Wailea Beach Resort, too!)
See
this photo....and
their web site
.
Lahaina:
The
Melting Pot Lahaina Gateway Center
(325 Keawe St., across the highway
from
Long's Drugs) 661-6181 Until the Lahaina location opened, we'd never
heard of
The
Melting Pot chain, but after more than 25 years in existence, we reasoned
the
time
had finally come for us to learn just what the buzz was all about. We hadn't
expected
fine
dining but that's exactly what we got! From our arrival (without
reservations)
to our departure, everything was first class - the service, the
food,
the decor, the background music...everything! And, on top of all
that,
it was fun! Do yourself a favor, try it! You'll be glad you did!
Visit their
Web
Site to learn more...
.
Lahaina / Kihei:
Outback
Steakhouse Pi'ilani Shopping Center, Kihei,
879-8400 and in Lahaina,
above
Barnes & Noble (across the highway
from Long's Drugs) 665-1822.
Put another shrimp on the barbie, mate!
outbacksteakhouse.maui
.
Lahaina:
Penne
Pasta Café Owner/chef Juan
Gomez's cozy Italian eatery.
Quite
affordable and "Maui-casual," our very
favorite Italian restaurant!
180
Dickenson St. - 661 6633 Open 'til 9:30 PM daily, 10 PM Fri/Sat.
Check
out their web site for menu
items, etc.
.
Kapalua: The
Plantation House ~ 669-6299
2000 Plantation
Club Dr. Located within the beautiful Kapalua
Resort. The welcoming
ambiance is enhanced with a central
fireplace, extraordinary
views and fine cuisine and wines.
theplantationhouse.com
.
Kahana:
Roy's
Kahana Bar &
Grill at the Kahana
Gateway Center,
4405
Honoapi'ilani Hwy., 669-6999. Roy's offers some of the best fare
on
Maui, and their fabulous
chocolate soufflé dessert is not
to be
missed!
The dining room is big and vibrant -not the place for a quiet,
romantic
dinner- but definitely a place for wonderful food and good
fun!
(We often go here to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries.)
Roy's Kihei
RIP, August 31, 2009
roysrestaurant.com
.
Lahaina / Wailea:
Ruth's
Chris Steak House 900 Front Street,
661-8815.
Generous portions of
exceptional "American" food in a casual, yet
elegant setting. In Wailea
at
The Shops
at Wailea shopping center.
Often voted "best
steaks" in local opinion polls.
ruthschris.com/lahaina
Kapalua / Kihei:
Sansei
Restaurant &
Sushi Bar Voted
"best sushi" in
many polls. Superb! The
Kapalua Resort location is @ 600 Office Rd.,
and their central Kihei
location is at the Foodland Shopping Center.
"Heavy discounts"
on sushi from 10PM to 1AM, Thurs., Fri. & Sat.
For big savings ask about their "early
bird" special pricing!
sanseihawaii.com
.
Honokowai:
SoupNutz
@
Java
Jazz in the Honokowai Marketplace,
3350 Lower Honoapi'ilani
Rd. Small cafe and one of Maui's very
best espresso bars, serving
breakfast, lunch and dinner. Open
Monday-Saturday: 6AM-9PM
(Call for Sunday hours) 667-0787
javajazz.net
.
CENTRAL
MAUI ~ Kahului - Wailuku - Waikapu - Airport
.
Wailuku:
A
Saigon Café 1792 Main St,
243-9560 The Island's very best
Vietnamese
cuisine. (One of the most popular "local style" restaurants
on
the island!) Highly recommended.
.
Wailuku:
A.K.'s Café 1237 Lower Main
St. 244-8774 Creative
dishes
with a local flair. Chef/Owner Elaine Rothermal has
managed
to cram a lot of value into her extensive menu. Out
of
the way but well worth finding. To quote Elaine, "Eat Better!"
A.K.'s
on the Web
.
Kahului:
Ba
Le French Sandwich &
Bakery Food
Court at Maui
Marketplace,
270 Dairy Rd. next to Sports Authority. 877-2400
Despite
the name, Ba Le is, essentially, a good Vietnamese
"fast food" restaurant.
They also serve a variety of tasty
sandwiches served on
homemade French baguettes,
and are noted for their
yummy pastries, too.
.
Kahului: Café
O'Lei at The Dunes at the Maui Lani Golf Course club house (enter
off
Hwy. 380) 877-0073 Innovative
preparation of local and "American" favorites. Open
most days for breakfast,
lunch and dinner (closed for dinner on Monday).
dunesatmauilani.com
.
Wailuku:
Café
O'Lei Wailuku 62
N. Market St. 986-0044 The latest entry into Café O'Lei's
"family
of fine restaurants," their Wailuku location is only open for breakfast
and lunch, to
serve
the local business community (nearby state & county offices,
etc.) Like the others,
their
food is great and the prices 'reasonable.' We especially liked their outstanding
Crab
Club,
served on foccacia with bacon, avocado and baby greens & tomato. Yum!!!
Mon-Fri,
11 AM /
3:00 PM for lunch ~ Thur, Fri & Sat; 5:30 / 9PM for
dinner.
.
Wailuku:
Giannotto's
Pizza 2050
Main Street. 808 244 8282 Owner David Giannotto is from New Jersey,
and
maybe that's all I need to say. (Capische?) Besides very good pizzas, David
serves the best meatball,
sauage
and cheese steak subs to be had, and a lot of other family-recipe-inspired
Italian specialties. David's
web
site tells it all. (Believe it or not, he's a die-hard Redskins
fan. You want 'skins stats? David's got 'em!)
.
Kahului:
Las
Piñatas of Maui 395 Dairy
Road (near airport, next
to
FedEx/Kinkos.) Featuring
very good ("sorta mild") Mexican
food
in a casual setting. Open most nights until 8PM
.
Wailuku:
Main
Street Bistro 12051 Main St. Open
Mon/Fri, 11 to 7 244-6816.
Very
popular for lunch since it's close to government offices and court
houses.
They serve a number of daily luncheon specials, and, for the
"dinner
crowd," a tasty selection of tapas-style dishes of all kinds.
msbmaui.com
.
Kahului:
Marco's
Grill &
Deli Dairy Rd. at Hana Hwy. 877-4446
Another very good Italian
eatery. The closest restaurant to Maui's main
airport. Open daily for
breakfast, lunch & dinner - 7:30AM 'til 10PM.
.
Kahului:
Maui
Coffee Roasters 444 Hana Hwy., 877-2877
Espresso,
pastries and other light fare. Open "early" until
late
afternoon. Retail sales of whole bean and ground
"gourmet"
coffees, roasted on the premises.
hawaiiancoffee.com
.
Wailuku:
Saeng's
Thai Cuisine 2119 Vineyard Street, 244-1567.
Our
favorite Thai restaurant on Maui, situated in a pretty, semi
open-air
garden setting. Highly recommended.
.
Wailuku: Tokyo
Tei 1063 Lower Main Street, 242-9630.
Good Japanese food in
a casual dining room setting.
An Island favorite for over 30-years.
.
UPCOUNTRY
~
Pa'ia - Hali'imaile - Makawao - Kula - Ha'iku
.
Pa'ia: Charley's
Restaurant 142 Hana Highway, 579-9453.
If heading to the
top of Haleakala, or on your way to Hana,
we highly recommended
it for breakfast. This is also where
part-time Maui resident
Willie Nelson and his friends often
hold impromptu back bar
jam sessions. A very casual, fun
experience. While good
for breakfast, it's just OK otherwise.
.
Makawao:
Casanova
Italian Restaurant &
Deli 1188 Makawao
Ave,
572-0220.
Really good Italian food and pizzas, plus live (often "big
name")
musical entertainment on the weekends. Also consider
Bistro
Cassanova in Kahului, the very best restaurant
in town!
(Tip: Check out
their very cool tee-shirts!)
casanovamaui.com
.
Pa'ia:
The
Flatbread Company 89 Hana Highway
- 579-8989 Open daily from 11:30AM 'til 10PM
The
Maui location is one of seven restaurants in a chain, the other six are
all in (and all over) New
England.
There's a Hawaiian word, "pono," that translates as "righteous"
or "to do right." This is
one
pono outfit, beyond any doubt, and without exaggeration! So, what exactly
is a 'flatbread?'
Essentially,
a pizza by any other name, but their pizzas are far better than,
and very different
from,
most others we've ever had! So, without belaboring this any longer, let
me send you
to
their web site....it'll
save me from writing a much longer overview! BTW, Pa'ia is a
former
sugar plantation town, now a center for "ocean sports" here on the Island.
As
such, it's a great people watching town! Well worth a visit whether you
dine
there
or not!
.
Hali'imaile:
Hali'imaile
General Store 900 Hali'imaile Rd, 572-2666.
Famous for Chef Bev Gannon's
crab pizza and tasty Hawai'i regional
treats to delight your
palette. Located in a former plantation camp
store, and well worth
the drive to beautiful upcountry Maui! Visit
their website
for directions, open/close hours and such.
.
Kula: Kula
Lodge &
Restaurant Haleakala Hwy. 878-1535
Well established dining
room, good food, exceptional views.
kulalodge.com/restaurant
.
Makawao:
Makawao
Steak House 3612 Baldwin Avenue, 572-8711. A
local favorite; open
nightly for dinner at 5:30 (lounge opens at 5PM).
(For the ladies, they serve "high
tea" in their back room - call for further info.)
.
Pa'ia:
Moana
Bakery &
Café on the left two blocks up Baldwin
Ave from Hana
Hwy. Open for breakfast,
lunch & dinner. Innovative menu, casual dining
and
a very good bakery, too.
(Live entertainment on selected nights.)
Call for info: 579-9999
LUAU SUGGESTIONS
.
OLD LAHAINA LUAU
In Lahaina Towne, on the ocean behind Long's Drugs.
oldlahainaluau.com
808 667 0700
..
FEAST AT LELE
505 Front St. Lahaina
feastatlele.com
808 667 5353
.
DRUMS OF THE PACIFIC
HYATT REGENCY MAUI
maui.hyatt.com/luau
808 661 1234
.
HONUA`ULA
GRAND WAILEA RESORT
grandwailea.com/luau
808 875-7710
.
= DA
KINE ONO GRINDS =
(Delicious Local-Style
Foods)
We're often asked where to find "Hawaiian"
restaurants here in Maui.
Sadly, there are no "pure"
Hawaiian restaurants left. However, if you want
to sample a nice mixture of really
ono
local cuisines - Hawaiian, Japanese,
Portuguese, Filipino, Korean, etc.
- there are a number of good (and cheap)
dining establishments that you will
find quite enjoyable if you make
the effort to experience them. The
following seven listings are very
representative of this genre...
Kahului, Kihei
& Lahaina:
Da Kitchen Triangle Square
(Kahului) 871-7782
and
the
Rainbow Mall (Kihei) 875-7782. Kahului serves alcohol and
has sit-
down
service. Kihei has self-service without beer or wine. The food is
similar
from one to the other but Kahului's menu is more extensive.
In
Lahaina,
it's downstairs at The Wharf Cinema Center on Front St.
(If you're on
a "low salt" or "no salt" diet, be sure to
tell 'em!)
Kahului:
Ichiban
- The Restaurant &
Sushi Bar
Kahului
Shopping Center, 47 Ka'ahumanu Avenue 871-6977.
Good
Japanese, "local" & American food plus a truly
yummy
sushi
bar! Casual setting. Highly recommended!
Wailuku: Sam
Sato's in the Millyard industrial park,
1750 Wili Pa Loop, 244-7124
Breakfast and lunch only.
Good local food, specializing
in noodle dishes.
Wailuku: Tasty
Crust Restaurant Mill Street near Central, 244-0845.
Very casual,
very
local - noted for their exceptionally good pancakes
(served anytime),
and well-prepared "local food" of all kinds.
Wailuku: Wei
Wei BBQ &
Noodle House Mill St. at Imi Kala
St. 242-7928
Extensive menu with almost
every kind of local dish known to man (and
woman). Open 9:30
AM to 9 PM daily. Now open in Pukalani, too.
Kahului:
Ramen-ya
Ground level at Queen Ka'ahumanu Center (near Macy's) 873-9688
Mon-Sat.
10:30 AM to 9:30 PM If you like 'traditional' Japanese-style noodle dishes,
this
place
is definitely the one for you! But, it's not all about noodles only,
they also offer
other
popular Asian dishes such as curry chicken katsu and won ton mein,
too!
=RETROGRINDS=
Maui has two '50s-style
"burger
joints" we think are worth a try. Peggy
Sue's,
at
the
Azeka Mauka shopping center in Kihei town (across the side street
from
Long's
Drugs), and the Cool
Cat Café, high
atop the Wharf Cinema Center,
Front
St., Lahaina. They both offer classic American "diner fare" that
will
surely take you on a time trip "back to the future."
Click here for our listings of Maui nightclubs that offer dinner options.
"Please let them know we sent you!"
Every attempt has been
made to list restaurants that
are noted for both
the quality of their food and service.
If you feel that things
are not quite "up to par" you owe it
to yourself to inform
management of any dissatisfaction.
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This page was created in June, 2002
Major page revisions:
August 11, 2010
(C) 2002-2010
.
The
Maui-Angels.Com Index
.
Seventh
Wave PhotoGraphics
.
Please eMail
us with any questions or suggestions for additional listings.
Had a bad dining experience,
please let us know! A listed restaurant
has closed? Let us know
that, too. Mahalo!
Restaurants still in business
that we've removed from this list include . . .
Big
Wave Cafe, The Pu Pu Lounge, Mama's Fish House, Fiesta Time, Mike's
Chinese,
Krispy Kreme Donuts, Colleen's, Pizza Paradiso, Maui Tacos,
Gannon's
.
ALOHA!
.