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This post was originally published in April 2019. It was last updated in June 2025.
What would a Hawaiian getaway be without experiencing the best local food? From eating poke overlooking the
South Maui Fish Company
22 Alahele Pl, Kihei, HI 96753
This was my favorite place and it should be a must on your list, as well as the first place you go to for lunch when on Maui. It’s located in Kihei which was a little far from where we stayed in Lahaina, but the drive was totally worth it! South Poke Maui Co is a food truck located in a huge parking lot just a few feet away from the beach. They also have different menu items like fish tacos and fish plates, but the poke here was stellar and the best I had on Maui. The fish here was unbelievably good! On my next visit, you can be sure I will go there straight from the airport! Since it’s a food truck, they have limited quantity, so they open every day until they sell out. Just make sure to not come too late or they might be out of poke or other menu items.
Tamura’s Fine Wine Liquors
226 Kupuohi St, Lahaina, HI 96761
Yes, poke in Hawaii can be found in the most random places like liquor stores. The poke here is so good! They have another location in Kihei. With so many different flavors to choose from, I loved Shoyu and Tamura’s. We came here twice and both times it didn’t disappoint. We devoured our poke bowls outside on the parking lot benches that overlooked the mountains. I couldn’t have asked for a better poke eating experience!
Eskimo Candy
2665 Wai Wai Pl, Kihei, HI 96753
ESKIMO CANDY PERMANENTLY CLOSED IN JANUARY 2023 🙁
Another amazing poke spot! Eskimo Candy also doubles as a seafood restaurant. They brought the poke bowls to our tables super fast and the poke was… you guessed it, heavenly! Hearty chunks of perfectly marinated fresh fish satisfied our empty stomachs after a long morning filled with activity at the beach.
Road to Hana
Be aware that Road to Hana’s eating spots are really easy to miss, so pay close attention if you don’t want to drive at least two more miles before finding an open space to make a U turn. Overall, the raw ruralness of Road to Hana felt like a time machine. There is not even phone reception!
A very nice woman gave us directions to Huli Huli Chicken and further confirmed that indeed, we had made it to the quaint town of Hana.
Huli Huli Chicken
If you want to have the best chicken of your life, Huli Huli Chicken on the Road to Hana is a must. Part of the reason I wanted to go Hana was because I found Huli Huli Chicken on a forum thread where everyone and their uncle swore by it.
Stopping here was a great way to refuel after the long drive and gather ourselves for the way back. Like Hana and most of Hawaii’s food joints, this place is a no-frills food stand. The chicken breast was the most tender chicken breast I’ve ever had in my entire life – and I’m not saying this flippantly. There are picnic tables and benches overlooking the ocean on Koki Beach, so you can listen to the waves crash into the shore while you’re eating. It doesn’t get better than this. I would endure the tedious drive to Hana again to relive this. Once you get there, you will see an open field with a handful of food trucks. I say skip all these altogether and keep driving down the road until you see the Koki Beach sign, then turn left to enjoy this unforgettable chicken. It’s off the beaten path, but worth every mile and only three minutes past Hana.
The plate comes with a mac salad and two generous delicious scoops of rice. Good is a huge understatement.
Pay close attention to the signs!
Coconut Glen’s Ice Cream
Another must-stop in Road to Hana. We stopped there on our way back after having had the amazing chicken at Huli Huli. Offering vegan and dairy-free ice cream, Coconut Glen’s is located in a beautiful colorful van. The ice cream was super refreshing, not to mention the big scoops with coconut chunks. It filled us up pretty well for our way back and our later challenging trek into the Bamboo Forest. They have different flavors, but it would be a crime to go there without at least trying their signature coconut flavor. With colorful chairs to sit on, enjoy your ice cream and watch the people in the cars slowly passing by the narrow road, rubbernecking to check out Coconut Glen’s eye-catching van.
Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread
210 Keanae Rd
Keanae, HI 96708
Sadly, we missed this spot on our way back because they close at 2:30 pm every day. On Road to Hana, you’ll come across a handful of fruit and banana bread shacks, but this one is the most famous for a reason. They say the banana bread there is served fresh and warm, right out of the oven. Next time I’m back, and I most certainly will be, I will definitely stop here.
Cuatro
1881 S Kihei Rd #111, Kihei, HI 96753
PERMANENTLY CLOSED IN JANUARY 2022 🙁
Best hidden gem on Maui! It only sits 30 people, so make sure you go very early or at least call ahead to make reservations. I can’t believe it was located in the most unassuming place: a strip mall just right across from Foodland, Hawaii’s most famous grocery store. The ambiance is very intimate and you could tell there was a sense of camaraderie between the host and the regulars who walked in.
The quality of the food at Cuatro is unparalleled. You order your fish of choice and choose the method of cooking. We picked the Mahi Mahi with the classic dressing style. The fish was cooked to perfection and the sauce was so light yet full of flavor in every bite. We sat next to a recent widow, who was from Camarillo but had been living on Maui on and off for twenty years with her late husband. She was dining solo and after we struck up a conversation, she told us she had been coming to Cuatro for many years and was perfectly acquainted with the staff. The outstanding service is also worthy of a mention. Overall, Cuatro is another great spot that should be on your list.
Ululani’s Shave Ice
790 Front St, Lahaina, HI 96761
We went there after dinner three nights during our stay as it was only a six-minute drive from our hotel, so there was no excuse to miss Hawaii’s most famous shaved ice spot. I never would have thought of myself as a shaved ice person. Whenever I used to think of shaved ice, the first thing that popped in my mind were artificial flavors and chemical sweeteners.
It’s very difficult to get authentic shaved ice made with
All the syrups are made from pure cane sugar and natural fruit juices. My favorite was the sunrise combo with the macadamia ice cream at the bottom! Get the macadamia ice cream! They have another location in Kihei but the one in Lahaina is the original location. It’s also in the perfect spot because afterward, you can take a nice relaxing stroll in Lahaina’s buzzing historic district and walk along the art galleries and restaurants.
Nalu’s South Shore Grill
1280 S Kihei Rd, Kihei, HI 96753
Great food and great ambiance with live music every night. This was our dinner spot after the long day in Hana. It’s very casual with tons of options. From acai bowls, to burgers, to a myriad of salads, rest assured you won’t be disappointed.
Located in the same parking lot as Nalu’s, we went to Peace Love Shave Ice to satisfy our shave ice cravings instead of driving another 36 minutes to Ululani’s in Lahaina. The woman working at the stand was lovely. Although the shave ice didn’t reach the level of Ululani’s, Peace Love Shave was a nice alternative spot.
Paia Bay Coffee & Bar
115 Hana Hwy, Paia, HI 96779
This was by far my favorite breakfast spot on Maui. Hidden from plain view, you enter the cafe either through a bikini store or the alley in the back. The atmosphere had immaculate beachy vibes, something I’m seeing more often in LA restaurants. Paia Bay Coffee is on a patio with beautiful greenery and a wooden pergola. The coffee was amazing and they had tons of vegan options.
Maui’s Best Banana Bread + Coffee
180 Dickenson St #115, Lahaina, HI 96761
I don’t think I will ever have a better avocado toast in my life. Outstanding coffee and really good, albeit not best, banana bread before heading to the beach on our last day. I loved sitting outdoors sipping iced coffee right across from a church in this quiet area of Lahaina. The service was attentive and very friendly. If you don’t want to pay full price for a giant plate of breakfast or wait in line for too long, this place is a nice alternative for something quick.
Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar
600 Office Rd, Lahaina, HI 96761
Nice sushi and outstanding specialty dishes! We went there after a long day on Slaughterhouse Beach. It was a very short drive from the beach.
The sushi was really good and even locals recommended this place. The winner for my dad and I were two of their award-winning dishes: Sansei’s Mango Crab Salad Hand Roll and the Panko Crusted Fresh Ahi Sashimi. Both were out of this world. My dad absolutely loved the mango crab salad hand roll, and the combination of the mango sauce with the crab was delightful.
Because Maui doesn’t have an international fish port, sushi fish has to be imported from Honolulu (Oahu). The sushi was scrumptious but I can’t say it reached perfection like last year when we went to Mitch’s Fish market, a sushi joint located right next to the Honolulu airport, where fish that was caught in the waters of New Zealand came straight from the plane to the restaurant.
Call ahead for reservations. They’re easy and very accommodating. It was jam-packed when we got there but we were seated right away. It’s not a hidden gem by any means but the sushi and the rest of the dishes we had were pretty solid.
Places on our list for the next time:
Kaohu Store (Wailuku) Another highly recommended place for poke. Located in the northern part of the island, It’s a sixteen-minute drive from the airport. However ,since we spent most our days in the south (Kihei) and the southwest part of Maui, our schedule was too tight to drive for almost an hour to go there.
Kihei Caffe (Kihei) This place is rated as Maui’s best breakfast spot. We drove all the way from Lahaina at 8 am before heading to the beach but to our surprise, there was a very long line, which put us off because we wanted to head to the beach early. I later found out that the line moves pretty fast and that the majority of times, you’re bound to find a line there.
Sunrise Café (Lahaina) We woke up very early on our last day and went there. However, we waited for thirty minutes given the fact that there was only one old woman in the kitchen cooking all the orders because the other cook hadn’t arrived yet. Traffic in Maui is no joke. After thirty minutes, we reluctantly decided to leave and find another spot. We came across Maui Coffee Best Banana Bread and Coffee but to this day, I still crave the fresh papaya with granola I ordered at Sunrise (picture below). Oh well 😭😭😭. This cafe is an authentic Hawaiian breakfast spot. Tips: Try to get outdoor seating and don’t forget to come extra early if you don’t want to wait.
Koiso Sushi Bar (Kihei) We were kindly turned away because we needed a reservation. No walk-ins accepted. The next two days were fully booked and they recommended calling at least one week ahead. It was no problem because we ended up dining at Cuatro, which was stellar. As you read above, Sansei also had good sushi. We’ll make it to Koiso on our next trip!
Monkey Pod Kitchen (Lahaina) This one was on my list. Located in Whaler’s Village, we walked past it on our first day right after we watched the sunset. The
If you’ve ever been to Maui and are familiar with the restaurants listed above, please let me know in the comments! Are there any specific places missing here?
