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Maui Island Cuisine
Maui, this beautiful paradise located in the Hawaiian Islands, offers more than just scenic views and a relaxed beach atmosphere. Don't miss out on the variety of fresh seafood and Maui cuisine. Maui boasts a rich selection of restaurants. During our one-week stay, we explored everything from local Hawaiian snacks at the market to high-end seaside restaurants. In this article, we'll share 9 restaurants we believe are worth trying.
Tin Roof
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$
Tin Roof is located in the Kahului area, not far from Maui Airport, and it was our first meal after getting off the plane. This restaurant specializes in bento-style dishes. There are only a few seats outside the restaurant, which are mostly occupied by the nearby wandering chickens, so we actually took our food to a nearby beach to enjoy. We ordered two bentos: Spicy Tuna and Garlic Shrimp + Garlic Noodles. The flavors were quite good, with a slightly mild seasoning and fresh ingredients that were very much to my taste, although the portions were not very large.
Kihei Cafe
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$
Kihei Cafe is the most famous brunch restaurant in the Kihei area. The entire restaurant has a family diner style, with outdoor seating located across from the beach in Kihei. There are a lot of options on the menu. We opted for the Hawaiian classic dishes of pork fried rice and Loco moco, but they also offer traditional American breakfasts. The dishes we ordered were all very delicious and the portions were quite large.
Da Kitchen
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $
This is my favorite restaurant in Maui. Da Kitchen has two locations in Maui, and this time we dined at the Da Kitchen in Kihei. The dishes here are all classic Hawaiian cuisine, such as Loco Moco, Kalua Pig, and various seafood dishes can all be found here. I really like the atmosphere in the restaurant, and the staff are very friendly. We ended up ordering the Mixed Plate as our main dish, which included fried Mahimahi, grilled beef, and grilled chicken. The portions were huge; even though we only ordered one main dish, we still had leftovers to take home for a second meal. We also ordered fried musubi as a side dish, which was also very delicious. If you want to experience reasonably priced Hawaiian food, this restaurant is definitely the best choice.
Island Fresh Cafe
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$
Island Fresh Cafe is located in Paia, a bit away from the bustling tourist areas. We came here in the morning while on our way to the Road to Hana. We ordered a Banana Bread French Toast and a Loco Moco for breakfast. This restaurant doesn’t seem to focus on traditional Hawaiian cuisine but rather emphasizes fresh and organic ingredients. The environment is refreshing and natural, making it a great place to sit and relax for a while.
Mama's Fish House
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$$$$
Mama’s Fish House is the most famous high-end restaurant on Maui. Although the prices are high, it's a must-visit if you come to Maui. It is highly recommended to make a reservation in advance, as it is very difficult to queue up on the spot, and parking must be valet. Located at the entrance of the Road to Hana, you can consider arranging it together with the Road to Hana itinerary.
The atmosphere was great even before entering the door, and after being seated inside, we discovered that the restaurant is located on a beautiful beach, offering stunning ocean views and a romantic ambiance.
The menu at Mama’s Fish House changes daily based on the seafood caught that day, ensuring that each dish uses the freshest ingredients. Classic dishes include Mahi Mahi, Opakapaka, and locally caught lobster, each meticulously prepared to showcase the natural flavors of the seafood. As a high-end restaurant, the main courses are priced at over $70, but the taste is truly excellent. We finally ordered an octopus appetizer, and for the main course, we had seared ahi and Hawaiian Kanpachi. The Kanpachi had lobster and crab stuffed in the middle of the fish, and it was incredibly delicious.
Paia Fish Market
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$
Paia Fish Market is another famous restaurant in Paia, a classic seafood restaurant that is very popular. Unlike the nearby Mama’s Fish House, which goes the high-price route, this restaurant is much more affordable, and all the seafood is delicious. We ordered two fish platters, Mahimahi and Ono respectively, as well as a Calamari appetizer. Surprisingly, our favorite was actually the Calamari.
The Fish Market Maui
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$$$
The Fish Market Maui is located on the west coast of Maui, at the northern end of Kaanapali. The left side of the restaurant sells cooked Hawaiian bento, while the right side is a market that sells fresh fish. We originally planned to try both, but we found out that their business is so good that the fresh fish sells out early in the morning. So in the end, we ordered the daily seafood special bento. The seafood was quite fresh, though the prices were slightly high.
Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$$$
Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman is a chain restaurant, and the one we visited is located in the Whalers Village shopping center in Wailea. It is very crowded, but the restaurant is quite large, so although there is a queue, it is not impossible to get a table. The atmosphere of the restaurant is great, and the ingredients are very fresh. The pizza is quite delicious.
Tiffany's Restaurant & Bar
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$
Tiffany’s Restaurant & Bar is located in Wailuku, quite close to the airport. If you’re tired of Hawaiian cuisine, you can come here to try different flavors of Asian dishes. The menu at this restaurant is quite extensive, featuring Korean BBQ, Japanese sushi, Thai curry, and Hawaiian specialty dishes. They also have a wide selection of beers. We originally thought that arriving early would mean fewer people, but to our surprise, the business was very good and it is very popular with the locals.
Ululani's Hawaiian Shave Ice
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $
Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice is the most famous shave ice store on Maui; if you haven't tried it, you can say you haven't truly been to Maui. There are branches at various tourist hotspots, and the one we visited is in Kahului. They offer a wide variety of shave ice, all made with pure cane syrup and fresh local fruits. Every bite is filled with the flavors of Hawaii, truly tastier than other shave ice stores. We ordered Sunset Beach and No Ka Oi the Best; even though we rarely eat shave ice, we couldn't stop praising it.
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