Where to Eat in Maui

Where to eat in Maui or more accurately, all the best places I ate in Maui.

You guys already know that I am a planner, and one of my favorite things to plan when I visit a new place is where to eat. I compile lists, check maps and study Yelp obsessively. Any skipped or bad meal is a major missed opportunity and I pout about it for hours.

We ate at a LOT of really great places in Maui over our 8 days on the island, so it was a little difficult to compile a list of just the best.

Where to eat in Maui: Budget

Honolua Store – Kapalua

Hawaii is definitely not a cheap place to eat, which is why finding a great little deli and general store like this in a high priced resort area is so valuable! We loved this place for their cheap breakfasts and local snacks, but most importantly, it was our first introduction to the Hawaiian plate lunch. Plate lunches are cheap, tasty and absolutely enormous. They usually consist of two scoops of rice, macaroni salad and an entree- one was enough to fill both of us up.

Must Try: Mike didn’t care for his beef and broccoli but chicken katsu plate was pretty tasty.

Eskimo Candy– Kihei

This is not a candy store, it’s a fish market and deli. “Eskimo candy” is an Alaskan nickname for smoked salmon. The market was crowded at lunchtime on a weekday and served up big bowls of poke (raw fish salad), seafood chowder, fish and chips and fish tacos.

Must Try: The poke is the star here but I also enjoyed the creamy chowder.

Be Le Sandwich Shop– Kihei

Mike was resistant to going here because we have so much wonderful Vietnamese food at home in Seattle, but a craving is a craving so we went to check out this local chain. It wasn’t particularly special but if you’re passing buy it’s a pretty good, no-nonsense and cheap option.

Must Try: The lemongrass chicken sandwich is very flavorful.

808 Deli– Kihei

I stopped in here based on a recommendation from Twitter and was not disappointed. This place specializes in big gorgeous sandwiches piled with meat and fixings- all for under $10. This is not a place for restraint.

Must Try: The Southern Squealer sandwich is fantastic pulled pork, cheddar and coleslaw (and I don’t even really like coleslaw. The homemade chocolate banana pudding was a fantastic indulgence as well.

Ululani’s Shave Ice – Multiple locations

Shave Ice has to be one of Hawaii’s most delicious inventions and you can’t leave Maui without trying some.  This needs to be on your list for where to eat in Maui.

Where to Eat in Maui: Mid-Range

Paia Bay Coffee – Paia

We stopped here on a whim because we needed somewhere with wifi to do a little work. I was so pleasantly surprised by this hidden garden with magnificent local, organic breakfast food.

Must Try: The eggs. Any of them really.

Maui Brewing Company– Lahaina

To be upfront: I wasn’t super impressed with the food here but it’s worth a visit to sample the beer alone. While Kona is still my favorite Hawaiian brewery, Maui has some really nice and interesting beers.

Must Try: The grilled shishito pepper appetizer and the Coconut Porter Beer.

Flatbread Company – Paia

Flatbread Company is actually a small chain with branches in New England, Whistler and Hawaii, but I had never heard of it before. The pizzas and salads here are all made with ingredients from local farms, from the goat cheese to the maple syrup in the lemonade (a novel idea that I loved). Their pizza of the day featured local purple potatoes, strawberries and more.

Must Try: The lemonade is great, as is the Kalua Pork Pizza with Maui pineapple.

Manoli’s Pizza – Wailea

If you find yourself in ritzy Wailea, Manoli’s is probably your most affordable local option for dinner. They have a sports bar aambiance and a hearty selection of red sauce Italian food and pizzas. It’s hearty food plus yummy cocktails.

Must Try: It didn’t photograph too well but the shrimp “scampi style” was a decadent hunk of Italian bread covered in shrimp, garlic, white wine sauce and sun dried tomatoes.

Da Kitchen – Kahului

Da Kitchen helped cater Obama’s inauguration and that’s all you need to know. They serve up delicious Hawaiian food in enormous portions. For hungry people only.

Must Try: The fried spam musabi is weird… but yummy.

Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar – Kihei

Mike took me here for Valentine’s Day (he waited until the last minute and could only get us a reservation at 8:45 PM). While it’s not the best sushi I’ve ever had – or even had that week (Nick’s Fishmarket below gets that award), it’s pretty tasty. The food here isn’t traditional- it’s sushi with a Hawaiian twist. They have some great weekday happy hour specials as well.

Must Try: The Sansei Shrimp Dynamite appetizer- tempura shrimp in a spicy sauce.

Where to Eat in Maui: Splurge

Cane & Canoe – Kapalua

I only had breakfast at the Cane & Canoe inside the Montage Resort in Kapalua but wow, what a breakfast it was. The Molokai Purple Potato Pancakes were incredible (although really more of a blue than purple). I wish I’d had a chance to sample dinner, I have a feeling it would be pretty excellent.

Don’t Miss: Those pancakes. Seriously so good.

The Banyan Tree – Kapalua

The Banyan Tree is located inside the Ritz Carlton, but it’s worth visiting even if you’re not staying here. The restaurant focuses completely on local ingredients with a gourmet twist. Their menu is seasonal but features things like seared ahi tuna, braised short ribs with kabocha pumpkin and grilled octopus with goat cheese.

Don’t Miss: The fried lumpia dessert. Also, the cocktails here were fresh and amazing

Nick’s Fishmarket – Wailea

This place was so good. Mike and I agreed that it was the best meal we ate in Maui (and probably the most expensive). Nick’s is inside the Fairmont in Wailea and specializes, unsurprisingly in seafood. This is where to eat in Maui if you want local seafood prepared expertly and slightly decadently.

Must try: The sashimi of the day appetizer was incredibly delicious. Mike is still talking about the wasabi. These kahlua pork dumplings were spectacular as well.

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Disclosure: Our meals were comped at The Banyan Tree, Nick’s Fishmarket, Montage and Manoli’s. All gluttonous opinions are definitely my own.