Lahaina is located in West Maui, about one hour from the island’s main airport in Kahului. If you’re staying in Lahaina or any of the nearby areas, such as Ka’anapali or Kapalua, here are my “local’s knowedge” recommendations for where to eat, shop and play.

I’ll start with the disclaimer: This is a local knowledge list written with a bias for great food, low prices and hole in the wall joints. Mainland chain restaurants aren’t included. So if you’re looking for details about Cheeseburger in Paradise or Starbucks, this isn’t the place to find it. The local yellow pages is your best bet since all of those places pride themselves on being the same.

Where to Eat in Lahaina

The chain restaurants like Cheeseburger in Paradise, Bubba Gump and Benihana are already familiar. You pretty much know what to expect–large portions of deep fried or themed food–so I will skip those. For a casual lunch that is not overpriced for the quality, try Auntie Pasto’s or Balle.

For a fancy dinner Lahaina Grill (formerly David Pauls), Vino or Sansei are winners. Sansei offers an early bird special of half-price sushi before 6PM. If you can make it to dinner that early, one of the best fresh fish joints on Maui becomes downright affordable.

Other great dining options are I’O, Plantation House, Roy’s and Cafe O’Lei. The latter two also have locations in Kihei and are very family-friendly.

If you’re looking for where to eat in the Kihei area, take a look at my entry “In Kihei: Places to Eat”.