Location: Maalaea
Top Restaurants in Maalaea
Maalaea Food Guide: 9 Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Maalaea
Māʻalaea is a census-designated place (CDP) in Maui County, Hawaiʻi, United States. The population was 352 at the 2010 census. Māʻalaea is the site of a small boat harbor, as well as the Maui Ocean Center.
Things to do in Maalaea
1. Hula Cookies & Ice Cream
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 167 reviews
Serving fresh made cookies, Roselani Ice Cream, Gourmet Ice Cream Sandwiches, Shave Ice, Smoothies, Coffee, and gifts!
Reviewed By Laurie B - Wahiawa, Hawaii
The coconut-pineapple and and chocolate chip ripple were delicious. Great service....Great Quality...Good Price.
2. Ululani's Hawaiian Shave Ice
Overall Ratings
5 based on 1 reviews
All Shave Ice is Not Created Equal... We specialize in and are passionate about serving the BEST shave ice! Now open for 5 years, we have rapidly become recognized as the top shave ice shop in Maui and one of the top 3 shave ice shops in ALL of Hawaii! We are known for the softest ice (comparable to Waiola's on Oahu), the best tasting flavors (we make 100% of our flavors using premium fruit purees, fresh fruits (when available), extracts, and concentrates from Hawaii and all across the United States), and warm friendly service with true ALOHA spirit! We specialize in our tropical fruit flavors. Our mango, coconut, pineapple, lilikoi (passion fruit), and guava taste like biting into the fresh fruit itself. From the filtered water to the premium gourmet Roselani's Ice Cream to the homemade mochi and azuki add-ons, we have thought through every detail of the shave ice to provide the BEST tasting shave ice possible! Get rid of any preconceived notions of what a shave ice or snow cone is like.....this takes shave ice beyond the highest level imaginable!
Reviewed By mtnman2010 - sparwood
Longer drive from Wailea than we hoped for. But I trust tripadvisor. There is no comparison vs other shave ice. This place is unreal. I had some ice with not enough syrup so I went to the front of the line and they gladly put more syrup on with a smile. They guarantee it and they mean it. Don’t waste your time with other places.
Da bomb!!
3. South Maui Fish Company
Overall Ratings
5 based on 429 reviews
Local caught FRESH FISH. We sell only locally caught fresh fish. Our fish varies daily. Most days Ahi Poke, Fish tacos, Ceviche, Fish plates and Curry.IF we don't have fresh fish we may not be open or close early. EVERYTHING is made daily and to order. 5 stars for a reason. Served with Aloha. Family Owned and Opertated.
Reviewed By jigregor - Dublin, Ohio
Enjoyed this hipster food truck for what it's well known for - killer fish tacos, grilled fish (that was caught the night prior) and ahi poke. The grilled fish was a bit dry but still good. Fish tacos outstanding! Ahi Poke could have been incredible but too much soy glaze sauce - be sure to ask for it on the side as a dipping sauce and you'll be in heaven. The only thing we didn't care for was the ceviche - it was a different style than we're accustomed to and the fish itself was dry. Fun casual spot, can be crowded at times. Ultra casual. CC accepted
4. Maui Pie
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 352 reviews
Reviewed By Benvr - Oregon
Maui Pie Co. has some great flavor/ingredient combinations and the pies are baked fresh daily. We literally drove out and bought a pie every day after we discovered this place. It was great to share with friends and family we visited on Maui. Great treat, amazing flavors and a reasonable value. Will be back!
5. Cafe del Vino
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 34 reviews
Reviewed By JohntheLast - Barrington, Illinois
I believe that this is a fairly new restaurant so I wish them well. The service and food were both excellent. We had the seafood special (linguini de mare with lobster). Wine selection is pretty good (great considering the location). Has a little bit of European flavor in the service (table wasn't ready so they gave you a menu and sat in the bar with a glass of wine before being escorted to the table (only about 10 feet :) ). There is no view - you come for the food. Not cheap (125+ for two). But worth it.
6. Sugar Beach Bake Shop
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 345 reviews
Handcrafting from the freshest ingredients, including sweet cream butter, fresh-picked lilikoi, Dole bananas and pineapples and Maui Meyer lemon zest. Inspired by local flavors and ingredients, our ever-changing selection of desserts and "favorites" are always baked fresh daily. Serving up fresh-brewed Hawaiian OMA coffee and house-made lemonades and much ALOHA all day!
Reviewed By MauiWorldTravelers - Hawai'i
What a cute business name, incorporating a nearby beach and the star ingredient of desserts. While I haven't stepped foot inside, I did get to taste an infamously defunct (or so we thought) dessert that only Maui peeps would know about.
DESSERT:
Queen Emma Cake - $80.00
You heard it right, $80! What in the world is a Queen Emma cake? Who is Queen Emma? The cake is 8-layers high and consists of guava cake, cream layer, lilikoi cake, cream layer, haupia cake, cream layer, guava cake again, cream layer again. Queen Emma was the wife of King Kamehameha IV. What the two have in common, I have no clue. Maybe it pays homage to her majesty's elegant dress you see in pictures? Anyway, the cake layers were true-to-taste and light. The cream layers were overwhelming to my palate so I ate around them. True, I'm not a big dessert fan but I like a little sweet every now and then.
TIP:
The original Queen Emma Cake was made famous by the now extinct Broke Da Mouth bakery in Kahului.
OVERALL:
Impressive-looking cake with a matching price tag.
7. Cuatro Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 866 reviews
Reviewed By DandSdennis - dennis, Mass
This was our first visit to the Cuatro and what impressed us were the many regular customers who came in greeting the servers with hugs. We can understand why the seafood stir fly and shrimp scampi were excellent. Splitting the ceasar salad was a perfect combination to the entrees.
We ate early at 4:30 PM to take advantage of the 20% off early bird special. Cuatro also assist with our BYOB wine by opening the bottle and keeping it chilled.
You may ask why not 5 stars and the answer is the limited number of entrees offered and although a small thing - tasty bread with the salad.
We would return, only to try the other entrees on the menu and maybe get a hug.
8. Peace Love Shave Ice
Overall Ratings
5 based on 103 reviews
Reviewed By divindk3483 - Santa Barbara, California
Shave Ice is usually Shave Ice. In many ways, it's the person serving it that makes the difference. Allison is great. She is the owner, operator, and "sole employee". She happily made conversations with us and even shared some of her special syrups with our family. Many of the syrups there are hand-made by Allison with natural ingredients.
Order your shave ice, hang out, and talk to her a bit while you eat. You'll be back again before you leave the island!
9. The Mill House
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 735 reviews
The Mill House Restaurant sits in the heart of the Maui Tropical Plantation is surrounded by farmland and offers a breathtaking view of the Waikapu valley.. The kitchen is led by Executive Chef Jeff Scheer with an inventive approach to the produce he receives from local producers and the whole steer, hog, and fish which he skillfully butchers in house. The creativity doesn't stop at the kitchen. The Mill House Bar offers unique cocktails, made from scratch, using local herbs and fruit which is squeezed, muddled, and cut fresh. The Mill House makes it a priority to have close, working relationships with farmers around the island of Maui.
Reviewed By Bridgette N
I initially started following this restaurant on Instagram. The photos looked beautiful and didn't do it justice when we finally arrived!
The grounds are beautiful and just breath taking. We arrived for dinner, so the coffee shop was closed so I can't speak to that part of the location, but looked so cozy!
Our waitress Emma was so accommodating and friendly. She answered our questions and provided recommendations with pairing drinks. Our food was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! My boyfriend isn't a seafood person, they had a delicious burger that didn't disappoint. Dessert we tried the beneigns, again bursting with awesomeness.
We hope to revisit again and again each time we travel to Maui.
This restaurant is not located in an area where tourists would stumble on to...it truly is a hidden gem and worth the drive. It will not disappoint!
