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Fresh Mint
Authentic Vietnamese fare, but totally veg, the chef-owner of this place takes pride in her artistically presented dishes. Even meat eaters will be blown away by the way soy takes on the flavors and texture of the foods they substitute - if in doubt, just try the spicy ginger soy beef. For dessert, don't miss the mango tapioca.
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Gazebo Restaurant
This open-air seaside restaurant has an unbelievable setting and damn good food. Sweet tooths will salivate over the white chocolate macnut pancakes, and the chock-full omelets have few rivals anywhere. Big salads, hearty sandwiches and flavorful lunch plates, too. Get there when it opens to beat the breakfast queue.
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Giovani's Tomato Pie
This family-friendly restaurant near the highway offers solid, reasonably priced Italian fare with something for everyone. Adults can dine on antipasto and parmigiana, while the kids munch away on buffalo wings and pizza.
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Grandma's Coffee House
This downhome café has homemade pastries, sandwiches and fresh dark-roasted Maui coffee. Grandma's family has been growing coffee beans in Keokea since 1918. Take your goodies out on the patio and you can eat right under the coffee trees. Grandma's is also a good place to pick up picnic fare if you're headed around the Pi'ilani Hwy to Hana.
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Hali'imaile General Store
Owner-chef Bev Gannon was one of the original forces behind the Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement and a steady flow of in-the-know diners beat a track to this tiny village to feast on her inspired creations. Even lunch is a treat with blackened 'ahi wraps and ginger-chili duck tostadas, but the real heavy hitters come out at dinner. The atmospheric setting, with its high ceilings and plantation-era decor, is nearly as interesting as the food.
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Hana Café
You'll find a local crowd at this hidden gem set back from the road opposite Hana Ballpark. It's little more than a lunchwagon, but it serves café fare on par with Maui's finest, including organic salads, scrumptious carrot-coconut soup and foamy lattes. On Sunday there's homemade Thai food worth lining up for.
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Hana Hou Restaurant
In pidgin the name means 'do it again,' and sure enough, people come back again and again for the backyard barbecue served at picnic tables. You can go Hawaiian with poi, kalua pork and laulau (bundles of pork or beef with salted fish that are wrapped in leaves and steamed) or sit down to burgers and beer.
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Hana Ranch Restaurant Takeout
Busiest spot in town, and for good reason. Everybody comes for the mammoth burgers made of free-range Hana cattle - it doesn't get any fresher than this. Vegetarians aren't left out either; the taro burger offers a slice of Maui before ranching took hold. Good breakfast fare and plate lunches, too. Oh, and did we mention the ocean-view picnic tables?
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Honokowai Okazuya
Takeout takes on class at this Japanese-style plate-lunch eatery that knows how to whip up heavenly sauces. The house-special mahimahi (a mild white-fleshed fish) lemon caper sauté is a sure bet, or go Japanese with the chicken katsu don poached in a sweet soy sauce and served on rice. A narrow strip of stools lines the wall if you want to chow down on the spot.
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Honolua Store
A nod to normalcy in the midst of lavish exclusiveness, this old general store has a cafeteria-style deli serving sandwiches and local food (takeout only), like stew and fried chicken.
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Horhito's Mexican Cantina
This is the real deal, with an accomplished Mexican chef, friendly staff and generous servings. Best of all, they don't skimp on the spices. If you're not up for traditional Mex fare, try the 'surf wraps' loaded with fresh fish and served with potatoes.
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Hula Grill & Barefoot Bar
The top choice for beachside atmosphere. You can watch the swimsuit parade pass by as you dine under coconut-frond umbrellas on creative pupu, like spicy coconut calamari or crab-and-macnut wontons. Dinner kicks it up a notch with kiawe-grilled steaks and Sichuan-screamin' sesame 'opakapaka .
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I'O
Lahaina's hottest fine-dining waterfront restaurant is chef James McDonald's cutting-edge venture into nouveau Hawaiian cuisine. It shares the same view as its adjacent sister operation, Pacific'O, but the menu doesn't drift quite as far and wide. Standouts include the crab cakes with goat cheese, seared fresh catch in lobster curry and 'cowboy ribs' with mango butter. If you dine early, you'll overhear the Feast at Lele luau on the beach below.
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Ichiban Okazuya
Little more than a tin-roofed shed, this place tucked behind the government buildings has been dishing out tasty Japanese-style plate lunches to office workers for half a century, so you'd better believe it has the recipes down pat. It's takeout, but there's an inviting picnic table shaded by an old mango tree out back.
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Java Jazz & Soup Nutz
This hip, arty café has a menu as eclectic as its decor. Breakfast packs a crowd that feasts on everything from bagels to frittata, lunch features gourmet sandwiches and Mexican fare, while dinner leans into Mediterranean-influenced cuisine. Plenty of vegetarian options, too.
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Jawz Tacos
This food truck parks in the northernmost Big Beach parking lot selling mahimahi tacos, burritos and shave ice. Other vendors selling cold coconuts, pineapples and the like can be found along Makena Alanui Dr opposite Big Beach.
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Joe's Bar & Grill
Run by the owners of the famed Hali'imaile General Store, Joe's has become celebrated in its own right. The emphasis is on solid American standards, like the slow roast beef prime rib or the fresh catch served with honey butter and whipped potatoes. Go Hawaiian for dessert, with a decadent pineapple cake topped with glazed macadamia nuts.
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Jonny's Burger Joint
Shoot a game of pool while your burger is flipped at this combo eatery-bar at the entrance to Ka'anapali. The huge burgers, served with caramelized Kula onions, are among the best on Maui.
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Ka'uiki
This is the place for a splurge. The menu emphasizes seafood, meats and produce from Hana's waters and farms, some dishes prepared with a Hawaiian accent, others with an Asian influence. Best deal is the three-course prix fixe menu, with yummy options like fresh catch with ginger aioli and fern tempura.
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Kahuna Kabobs
Tucked into a courtyard off Front St, this popular local eatery attracts surfers with its killer wrapped 'ahi (yellowfin tuna) sandwich and teriyaki kebabs. Vegetarians won't be disappointed with the 'veggie hipster' falafel wrap. Order at the window and chow down at one of the shaded café tables.
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Kihei Caffe
If jet lag has you up before sunrise, head here. Breakfast burritos and eggs in every conceivable preparation highlight the menu. Best of all, the eye-popping coffee comes with a free refill.
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Kimo's
At this Hawaiian-style standby, you'll not only find reliable food and a fine water view, but the place is large and lively enough that the kids can relax and be themselves. All the usual fresh fish, steak and chicken dinners come with warm carrot muffins and a Caesar salad. Lunch covers the gamut, from sandwiches and salads to the catch of the day.
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Komoda Store & Bakery
Justifiably famous throughout the islands for its mouth-watering cream puffs and liliko'i (passion fruit) malasadas, this generations-old family bakery makes the perfect morning stop. And the emphasis is on mornings 'cause it often sells out by noon.
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Kula Sandalwoods Restaurant
The owner-chef earned her toque from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. At breakfast she serves up a knockout eggs Benedict. Lunch moves into specialty salads and innovative sandwiches on foccacia bread. Heady espresso, too. The restaurant is less than a mile north of Haleakala Crater Rd.
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La Provence
This sunny courtyard restaurant pairs mouthwatering French pastries with Kula treats, like goat-cheese salad on fresh-picked greens. In the evening bring your own beer and enjoy a gourmet pizza hot out of the brick oven. Hard to find but worth the effort: look for the low-key sign on the Kula Hwy as you approach Waiakoa.
