Planning our vacation, looking for a couple restaurant recommendations. Have reservations at Merriman’s in Kapalua and planning on going to Mama’s since we always seem to bypass it. Not this time. We’ve done Hali’imaile General Store. Preferably on the West side (staying at Papakea).
What’s a can’t miss?
Mamas is always a good time.
Monkeypod was fun for a causal dinner. Decent list, had some Dujac Echezeaux for a good price.
Matteo’s was good as well. Great wine shop next door.
Tobi’s Poke kinda by Mama’s was absolutely fantastic. Went there twice. Just a few tables outside; take out type joint.
I was somewhat disappointed in Merriman’s (vs the one on the Big Island).
Ditto Mother’s but that might have been be expectations and cost too high. Very good, but didn’t find it better than the Wailea restaurants. I’d try it again.
Most of my experience is Wailea, and Lineage , Ferrara’s and Spago’s were the best last fall.
Morimoto’s went downhill.
Star Noodle in Lahaina very casual but I consider it a can’t miss. Book now on line- fills up super quickly.
Tin Roof (Sheldon Simeon’s takeout lunchtime spot in Kahalui) is great. right by the airport so we usually make that our first meal on the island
Lineage is also awesome. Started by Sheldon but the new chef hasn’t skipped a beat.
Lineage’s menu isn’t my favorite, only one or two fish options, but it’s the very best sourcing and giant portions.
Others love the menu.
Honu and star noodle in Lahaina
Have breakfast at the Gazebo. Bring snorkeling gear and go snorkeling in Honokeana Bay a hundred yards or so around the corner. One of the greatest snorkeling spots in the world you will see many turtles larger than you among other things. You could spend hundreds of dollars to do something far inferior to what you can do for free
Lahaina Grill was the best meal of our trip in 2019, but haven’t been there since.
About 15 years ago I took my kids to Maui. It was just the 3 of us and they were on the young side (8 and 5) so I didn’t drag them to a lot of nice dinners. On these trips one rule was there’s always a Dad Night where we go out to a nice restaurant,. Dad gets to bring a nice bottle and gets to enjoy a really nice meal. That trip we went to Lahaina Grill. The owner saw us and came over to say hello noticing the really nice bottle I had on the table. He asked us what was going on. I told him I was a single dad and this was my one nice dinner I was dragging my kids out to in exchange for bringing them to Maui for the week. He told me to enjoy a nice quiet glass and he would keep my kids busy for a bit. He took them into the kitchen and handed them over to the pastry chef. Both kids got to create their own dream dessert with the pastry chef and they made one for me also. It was such a wonderful treat and surprise. I felt like a king in that moment and will never forget his kindness.
You’re getting some good recs so far with Star Noodle and others. There is a good meat market also if you want to BBQ steaks where you are staying called Maui Prime Fine Foods. It’s $$$ but this is Maui, and you don’t have to deal w Costco if you don’t want to.
When we went in 2021, we had a fun and different meal at Cafe o Lei at the Mill House. It’s an awesome spot, great patio overlooking part of a plantation, on the whole tropical AF, which is cool. Food was good, but setting and service made the evening.
Also, near Kaanapali but in Napili and on the more casual side are FOND (where we took food home from - it was very good) and a place we didn’t get to that I think may be even better is Joey’s Kitchen (Filipino fusion), in the same shopping center. Not fine dining, but worthwhile spots.
My Step-Son and DIL just came back from Maui and told me about Maui Prime as well, it’s on our radar. If I’m not mistaken it looks like Star Noodle is Lunch only?
Joey’s looks like somewhere I could eat every day.
Honu looks like a winner.
Cafe O Lei looks great too.
Will the Lahaina Grill be a surprise?
We plan on cooking in a few nights so my list seems to be coming together nicely. Mama’s is too far out to make reservations so I’ll likely miss it again.
Thanks everyone!
Star noodle also open for dinner and doesn’t close between lunch and dinner.
I’ll have to revisit the website. Thanks.
+1 to Cafe O Lei (MIllhouse location). Killer backdrop views and the food was very good too (and quite reasonable for Maui). One of the highlights of our trip
Flatbread Company is another can’t miss for lunch or casual dinner every time we’re in Maui
I’m sad aloha mixed plate closed; that’s the new location of star noodle.
Already made reservations!
Agree with Michael, Honu is a favorite. Last time we stayed on Baby Beach and could walk to Honu, went 3x. Love that place, I’m a sucker for ahi!
I recommend going to Tamura’s wine shop to check out the Poke selection, they have 20+ poke-to-go selections, deli-counter style.
Lineage was our favorite when we were in Maui a few months ago and we enjoyed Monkeypod too. Agree with others that Morimoto’s has gone downhill. Lahaina Grill was the one restaurant we found that did not allow BYOB. Everywhere else we asked was very corkage friendly.
On that note here is their wine list. I’m leaning Alsace but even that isn’t exciting me, do you folks see any moderate values here?
Lots of good white options, with Chotard Sancerre, Minet or Blanchet Pouilly-Fume, or Truchard Roussanne. If you need a red, Truchard Syrah or Cab or Selvapiana’s Bucerchiale are always reliable. If you aren’t bringing something really special from home, why worry about BYO?