The Best American Food in Maui
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The best American food in Maui, according to the experts: AAA, The Infatuation, and the James Beard Awards have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Merriman's comes out on top, and the good stuff runs deepest in Lahaina and Kihei.
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Kaohu Store and Kitoko hold the next two places. Eater shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with AAA close behind.
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Rank 1. Merriman's
Hawaiian
The awards
- AAA AAA: Three Diamonds
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Restaurants In Maui
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Peter Merriman
- AAA Three Diamonds
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In Maui
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Peter Merriman
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Rank 2. Kaohu Store
Hawaiian Food Hall
A humble neighborhood grocery store in Wailuku where the real draw is through the back, at the seafood counter. Poke here skips the trendy bowl format entirely: just impeccably fresh ahi, hamachi, and tako dressed in traditional Hawaiian seasonings, tasting clean and briny the way poke is supposed to. The pohole fern salad alongside is worth picking up too. Locals fill the counter fast, and they rarely need to look at anything twice.
The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Restaurants In Maui
- Eater Eater: The 25 Best Maui Restaurants
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Rank 2. Kitoko
Hawaiian
The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Restaurants In Maui
- Eater Eater: The 25 Best Maui Restaurants
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Rank 2. Leoda's Kitchen and Pie Shop
Hawaiian
The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Restaurants In Maui
- Eater Eater: The 25 Best Maui Restaurants
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The awards
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Rank 6. Ka'ana Kitchen
Hawaiian
The awards
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Rank 7. Duke's Beach House Maui
Hawaiian
The awards
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The awards
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Rank 7. Kea Lani Restaurant - Fairmont Kea Lani
Hawaiian Seafood
The awards
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Rank 10. Lahaina Noon
Hawaiian
The awards
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Rank 10. Monkeypod Kitchen
Hawaiian
The awards
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Rank 10. Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman
Hawaiian American
The awards
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Rank 10. Ulu Kitchen
Hawaiian
The awards
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Rank 14. Mala Ocean Tavern
Hawaiian Seafood
Sea turtles surface in the water a few feet from your table while you work through a menu that skews lighter than most oceanfront spots, with vegan and gluten-free options alongside fish sourced close to home. Mala is a Hawaiian seafood restaurant right on the Lahaina waterfront, and brunch draws a loyal crowd for eggs Benedict done several ways, including one with wasabi hollandaise that sounds like a dare and isn't.
The awards
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Rank 14. Only Ono BBQ
Barbecue
Dim sum without the trolleys or the tea, served out of a red tent at the Maui Sunday Market and the Maika'i Market on weekdays. Only Ono is a to-go dim sum and BBQ counter from a chef whose roast pork has no business being this good outside of Hong Kong. Pre-ordering is less a suggestion than a survival strategy; the line fills fast. Save a pineapple bun for breakfast the next morning and you'll feel very clever about it.
The awards
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Rank 14. Star Noodle
Hapa Hawaiian Ramen Shop
The hapa ramen gets its smoky broth from pigs roasted whole in an underground oven at the luau next door, which is either the most Hawaiian supply chain imaginable or proof that good neighbors make good soup. This oceanfront Asian family-style restaurant in Lahaina fills up fast, so book ahead. Pohole fern salad and raw ahi with avocado share the menu with inventive cocktails built around calamansi lime and Asian pear.
The awards
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Rank 14. Tikehau Lounge
Sophisticated Hawaiian Cocktail Bar
Sea urchin lanterns and hand-painted wallpaper set the tone for what turns out to be a serious cocktail bar tucked inside an easy-to-miss strip of shops in Wailea. The drinks lean into the island without becoming kitsch, and the zero-proof menu gets the same care as everything else. Bar snacks lean toward candied macadamia nuts and Chamorro-style shrimp cups. A 2026 Spirited Awards Regional Top 10 Honoree for Best U.S. Cocktail Bar.
The awards
- Eater The 25 Best Maui Restaurants
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Bar Team – U.S. West
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. West