The South Shore of Maui offers a diverse range of options for every meal, and lunch is no exception. Whether you are looking for a quick and healthy bite, a picnic to take to the beach or on the road, or you want a more luxurious, seated dining experience, you’ll find what you’re looking for when you go out to lunch near and around Kihei and Wailea.
But wait, there’s more. We’re here to help demystify some of the unusual words you might see on menus like furikake, laulau and lilikoi — and explain which meat is being served and why. And possibly most importantly of all, provide the fun facts on the origins of local dishes.
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Feature Image: South Maui Fish Company
What may be the Valley Isle’s best brunch is served as part of a farm excursion in upcountry Kula, O‘o Farm’s Seed to Cup Coffee and Brunch Tour, which starts with tastings of the organic farm’s estate coffee and other Hawaiian-grown roasts. Offered by reservation only, the tour moves through rows of leafy greens, stone fruit and citrus trees, edible flowers and other plantings before settling down for an open-air brunch with freshly harvested fruits, a farm-egg veggie frittata and Maui venison sausage (with a tempeh version for non-carnivores.) There’s also a lunch tour that typically features fresh fish or chicken.
Try one of their chef inspired salads, sandwiches, or grain bowls, or build your own from a delicious variety of choices. The smoky papaya chicken sandwich is a favorite, and it can be made as a wrap if you’re looking for less dough. There are two locations on Maui, so if you’re ordering online, make sure you’ve got the right one.
This market is the perfect place to grab a quick bite for a low price. Island Gourmet Markets carries a variety of lunch options, so all lunch cravings can be satisfied here. Customers love the New York steak, prime rib, poke bowls and sandwiches.
34 Wailea Ike Dr, Kihei
This truly is a paradise for pita lovers. Salads arrive with fresh pita, or you can go for a pita sandwich stuffed with your choice of meats or falafel. The tzatziki is the perfect cooling topper for whatever you decide to have. Patio and air-conditioned options are available.
If you’ve had a full day on the water and need a late lunch, this is the spot. All the gastro pub menu basics are covered and then some. The pork adobo moco, lobster mac and cheese and garlic parmesan fries are worth the food coma that will lead to your late afternoon nap.
Interested in daily caught fresh fish for a lower price? Make a stop for this food truck! Their fish tacos and poke bowls are fan favorites. This little truck serves only fresh caught fish and they do sell out.
Run by Hilo born turned top chef contestant Chef Sheldon Simeon and his wife Janice and built around the soothing, calm and comforting feelings evoked by rain falling on a tin roof. The mochiko chicken kau kau tin is a perennial favorite, and you can’t go wrong with the chef special. Order online and you can walk in and grab your paper bag off the counter. There is very limited in-house seating.
This relatively new addition to the Maui food scene was born from a shared love of good food and welcoming hospitality. They offer a robust breakfast and lunch menu (you’ll want to try the Tree Hugger for breakfast and You Can Count Banh Mi for lunch), and either a sunset dinner or prix fixe menu based on the night of the week. The Prix Fixe menu is the star of the show, offering delicacy items that you won’t see on most menus (I’m looking at you opakapaka with mango and starfruit starter.)
A favorite of locals and visitors alike, the original brewery burned to the ground in the Lahaina Fires in August, 2023. By partnering with Kona Brewing Hawaii they were able to continue producing their beer within the state. In their flagship taproom and eatery, you’ll find live music and on weekdays, a “hoppy hour.” Their menu has deliciously local flair with enough variety to keep everyone in your group happy.
30 Alahele Pl, Kihei
If you’re not sure what you want to eat or are part of a group with a far-ranging palate, this tucked-away paradise offers a tropical ambiance and 14 different food trucks to explore. You’ll find an eclectic and international assortment of dishes that may inspire you to sample more than one regional cuisine. Be sure to leave room for Chinese Shaved Ice or a freshly baked cookie! Each food truck has slightly different options, but on your visit you’re sure to find something to indulge in.
91 East Lipoa St, Kihei
You’ll want to call ahead to find out what time the fresh poke is ready at this well known Maui Style version of a wine and liquor super store. The variety of poke will delight your taste buds, and you’re sure to find a beverage you’ll love to pair with it.
Wailea Golf Club, 100 Wailea Golf Club Dr, Wailea
Formerly Gannon’s, this eclectic restaurant occupies an enviable perch at the Wailea Gold and Emerald Golf Courses, with sweeping ocean, sunset views and plenty of green lawns for weddings and other private events. You don’t need a formal invitation to enjoy island-flavored dishes such as sweet potato hummus, pork ribs in a Maui pineapple barbecue sauce or furikake-crusted ahi.
The Shops at Wailea, 3750 Wailea Alanui Dr, Wailea
The first branch of the Aurum Food and Wine casual-elegant restaurant concept outside of Colorado naturally features seafood, but also reflects the connections its Maui-born chef-partner Taylor Ponte and his wife, general manager Natasha Ponte, have made with local farmers and ranchers. The shared lunch and dinner menu brims with island-style gourmet comfort food, including lobster toast, island okonomiyaki, pan-seared kampachi and a paniolo smash burger, but Mediterranean palates will also appreciate the hand-rolled gnocchi, black garlic hummus or meatballs with tzatziki.
One of Lahaina’s many beloved Front Street institutions lost to the 2023 fire, Cool Cat Café has found new life at a full-service restaurant in Kihei and a smaller outlet in the Whalers Village food court. The latter may not have the nostalgic vibe of the former, but its starring lineup of seven burgers, five chicken sandwiches and four veggie taro burgers is a welcome find in Kaanapali.
In the Shops at Wailea, 3750 Wailea Alanui Dr, Wailea
This gastropub is a welcome oasis in the Shops at Wailea, especially during its 2–5 p.m. happy hour, when the gourmet sliders — short rib, Hawaiian fresh catch, kalua pork and cheeseburger — are just $5. The Island Time Mule and Mid-Day Margarita also cost under two digits at happy hour, and you have until midnight to order anything from the long beverage menu (till 11 p.m. for the kitchen.)
