After my last post about adventures on Maui, I thought it would be fun to do a post about all of our favorite places to eat on Maui.

In case you missed my last post my husband and I have been to the island almost 20 times.  We have both been going since we were kids.  This is a collective list of all the places we have to visit when we are on the island.  Plus, I threw in a couple that we want to visit when we go back in a couple of months.

First off, my biggest tip is to download the OpenTable app.  This way you can make reservations and hopefully get seats during sunset.  We usually make ours a week or so ahead of time to make sure we get a time that works with our schedule.  You can avoid the hour-long waits at some of the bigger restaurants this way.

Breakfast:

This year we want to try Bella Surf Café in Kihei

Help!!! We need some good recommendations for breakfast spots as we typically eat a small breakfast and then head out to snorkel or find a beach for the day.

Coffee:

• Lava Java is the best coffee on the whole island, and we make sure we stop in almost every day as it is very close to where we stay in Kihei.  When you visit you have to get the frozen mocha, it is my favorite drink.  Also, pick up some beans to bring home.  I currently have two bags left in the cupboard.  I like to make cold brew with mine.

Lunch:

For lunch, if we are snorkeling, we will usually pack a lunch and have a beach picnic, but when we go on adventures around the island, there are 3 places we love to go.

• Paia Fish Market, in Kihei or Paia town. This has quickly become our favorite lunch spot.  They have a great variety of fish to choose from and many different ways of preparation.  Our favorite is the fresh catch of the day grilled; the fillet literally takes up the whole plate.  We get sides of coleslaw and home fries.  Of course, wash it down with a local beer from Maui Brewing.  They also have great Mahi Mahi and chips.  Added bonus it next door to Lava Java, so I always stop by and get more coffee!

• Charley’s Restaurant and Saloon in Paia town, they have the best happy hour menu with local foods and crazy cheap drinks.  We had the poke bowl and hot wings!  You can also stay for the live music that is always good, and if you are fortunate, you may spot some famous musicians up on the stage (rumor has it).  This is a great hole in the wall bar to stop in if you are exploring Paia town or on your way back from halfway to Hana.
• Ulupalakua Ranch Store is on your way up Haleakalā or at the end of the road to Hana if you make it all the way around.  We found this after a long trip on the road to Hana about five years ago.  A bonus is that it is across from Maui Wines, so we usually go wine tasting after!  This is a burger place, but it has a twist, they have different types of meats for those who are adventurous.  My favorite is the lamb burger, and my husbands is the elk burger.  The deer is a close runner up.  These burgers are the perfect size, and each one has such great flavor, you can really tell the difference between all the options.  You have to get it with the grilled onions and mushrooms.  It’s so much fun we try to get a new meat each time we go.  The grill is located inside the ranch store, where you can learn and buy Hawaiian items from the ranch.  This has become a staple for us; we make a day out of it exploring, wine tasting, and having burgers.

Dinner:

With so many good restaurants on the Island, I wanted to pick only the ones we go to multiple times a trip and can’t live without.

•  Three’s Bar and Grill, this was our favorite spot on our last trip.  They have some of the best sushi on the island.  With a new roll almost every night or at least on the weekends, you get a great variety.  I think we have tried almost every roll and were never disappointed.  We did try some of the cooked options as well, and they were just as good.  The grilled fish and the poke bowls were winners.  They are also open for breakfast, and we tried this on our last day.  I wish we knew about it sooner because the mimosas and French toast were out of this world.  You can make reservations on Open Table and would highly recommend it, as they have a line every night.

• Fleetwood’s was a new restaurant we tried last year and loved it so much we are already planning to go back for dinner and at least another time for happy hour.  Make reservations on open table because you can pick either inside or rooftop.  Pick Roof Top you get an amazing view of the ocean and Lanai while the sunsets.  The Mai Tai’s here are excellent, and they have a passion fruit float on top that adds just the right amount of sweetness.  The fresh fish was excellent, and my husband loved the seafood pasta.  The bar inside usually has a live band and has a dark wood finish, a totally different vibe, but so exciting and refreshing for Maui.  We want to come back to see a band play during happy hour.

• Kimo’s in Lahaina is one of my all-time favorites.  I’ve been coming here since I was a kid and it is still amazing to this day.  I always go for the fresh fish of the day because you can never go wrong with that.  They are known for the macadamia nut crusted mahi-mahi.  I prefer the Opakapaka or Opah.  While my husband loves their short ribs.  They have excellent Mai Tai’s as well.  We tend to stop here for happy hour if we get to Lahaina early and have time to kill.  They are right on the water, so the view is spectacular any time of day.  You will want to make reservations.

If you are looking for a fun bar to go to for happy hour with giant drinks, then stop by Life’s a beach in Kihei.  The biggest Mai Tai’s that taste great and walking distance to several good restaurants, including Three’s and Paia fish market.

What are some new dinner places we should try?

Any food trucks we need to try?