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For a place the size of Maui, there’s a lot going on when it comes to the dining scene, from ethnic holes-in-the-wall to stunningly appointed hotel dining rooms, and from seafood trucks to oceanfront fish houses with panoramic views. Much of the food is excellent, but some of it is overpriced and touristy. If you’re coming from a "food destination" city, you may have to adjust your expectations.
Follow the locavore trend, and at casual and fine-dining restaurants choose menu items made with products that are abundant on the island, like local fish, beef, venison, onions, avocados, cabbage, broccoli, asparagus, hydroponic tomatoes, myriad herbs, salad greens, kalo (taro), bananas, papaya, guava, lilikoi (passion fruit), coconut, mangoes, strawberries, and Maui pineapple. You can also look for treats grown on neighboring islands, such as mushrooms, purple sweet potatoes, and watermelon.
"Local food," a specific and official cuisine designated as such in the 1920s, is an amalgam of foods brought by the ethnic groups that have come here since the mid-1800s and also blended with the foods native Hawaiians have enjoyed for centuries. Dishes to try include lomilomi salmon, laulau, poi, Portuguese bean soup, kalbi ribs, chicken katsu, chow fun, hamburger steak, and macaroni salad. For a food adventure, take a drive into Central Maui and have lunch or dinner at one of the "local" spots recommended here. Or get even more adventurous and take a drive around Wailuku or Kahului and find your own hidden gem—there are plenty out there.
An authentic Italian ristorante, Casanova is smack dab in the middle of Maui's paniolo (cowboy) town of Makawao. Imported from Italy, the brick wood-burning oven has turned out perfect pies and steaming-hot focaccia for more than 20 years. Sunday brunch is new and exciting, with omelets ordered to your liking, specialty benedicts, and flowing mimosas. Generous portions and fresh, local ingredients make Casanova the perfect stop.
Overlooking the ocean from a bluff above Wailea Beach, this outdoor Italian restaurant at Four Seasons Resort Maui is Wailea's only oceanfront restaurant. For lunch, indulge in the catch of the day, artisanal sandwiches, or one of a variety of stone-baked pizzas. At dinner, try the Italian-inspired salads and house-made pasta.
Nestled on the slopes of Haleakala, this bistro's atmosphere is reminiscent of trattorias in northern Italy. Serving up home-style food with a splash of Italian, this eatery makes the scenic drive worth it. Start the day with any of their benedicts, frittatas, or the indulgent white chocolate macadamia nut pancakes. Grab any one of their outstanding paninis for lunch, or enjoy dinner from specialty pasta, prime rib, house-made vegetable lasagna, signature pizzas, to the local favorite loco moco.
One of the go-to places for airport comers and goers, this popular Italian restaurant also draws a steady crowd of local residents, mostly for business lunches. Meatballs, sausages, and sauces are all made in-house, there's a long list of sandwiches that are available all day, and the affordable salads are big enough to share; substitutions or special requests are not recommended.
A couple of blocks off Front Street in Lahaina, this small restaurant packs a powerhouse of a menu with reasonably priced pizzas, pastas, salads, and sandwiches. The name can be found on the menu in four dishes; two can easily split a salad and entrée and leave completely sated.
When it opened in 1995 this was an over-the-counter pizza place, but it's evolved over the years into a local favorite, serving Mediterranean-style pizza and comfort food including pitas, gyros, and kabobs.
This restaurant proves that good food doesn't need to be complicated, using many local Maui products to do what the Italians do best: craft simple, delicious food that lets the ingredients shine. Must-haves include the panfried gnocchi Genovese, risotto-crusted fresh catch, and the deconstructed tiramisu.
Aromas from a wood-fired oven lure you into this cozy Italian restaurant set just off of Front Street, and the wine list tempts you to stay awhile. Quality is paramount here—many of the ingredients are imported directly from Italy, while farm-fresh produce and meats come from Maui. Chef-owner Michele Bari (also from Italy) honed his skills at the prestigious Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli (International School of Pizza) in Venice. The desserts change regularly—if you’re lucky, the addictive tiramisu will be on the menu.
This upscale Italian restaurant's setting right on spectacular Keawakapu Beach, with views of Molokini and Kahoolawe, is irresistible. The brunch menu lasts until 2 pm, and dinner has a decidedly Italian bent, with dishes like seared ahi over lemon-butter pasta and veal osso buco. In whale season, they even set binoculars on the table so you can watch for whales from your table.
Acclaimed chef Roger Stettler leans on his Italian heritage to create this award-winning menu. This rustic, open-air restaurant dishes hearty soups, salads, and sandwiches at lunchtime, and the house-made pastas are the highlight of the more upscale dinner service. Sunday brunch features both Italian and local-style items. Belly up to the lively bar or request an outdoor table to enjoy sweeping ocean and mountain views.
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