Where to Eat for Cheap in Lahaina, Maui
Planning to visit Hawaii? Tim and Nat of A Cook Not Mad discovered where to eat without breaking the bank. They share with us some helpful tips if you plan on travelling to Lahaina, Maui:
In Lahaina, on the West side of the island of Maui, there are plenty of high end, hand over your wallet restaurants but not everyone has a sky-is-the-limit policy when it comes to dining out. Our biggest tip, and the one we use all the time is, ask a local. Locals typically don’t eat at high end restaurants every time they go out. This is the best way to find the places that most people have never heard of.
Aloha Mixed Plate
One of our favourite stops, the AMP is frequented by locals and tourists because it’s delicious and has a great view of the ocean without the inflated prices. An added bonus is their happy hour, from 2 to 6 pm. If you’re there at the right time you can also hear the happenings at the neighbouring Old Lahaina Luau.
Hours: 8 am to 10 pm: 1285 Front St. Lahaina, HI
Zushi’s
Don’t let the closed sign be a deterrent if it’s during business hours, just walk in. This hole in the wall is worth its weight in katsu. Everything is made fresh on site by Zushi herself. If you go, try the Lady’s Special (shrimp tempura and California roll with mac salad) for $8.50 or the deep fried chicken for $7.55, comes with rice and mac salad. All meals come with a comforting miso soup to start. Rumour is, she will be retiring in September 2014 so don’t miss your chance to taste her succulent food.
Hours 11 am to 2 pm – 5 pm to 8 pm: 840 Wainee St, Suite G3. Lahaina, HI
Nagasako Okazu-Ya Deli
Nagasako is a take away deli. We arrived close to noon and almost everything we wanted to try was already sold out. We left with short ribs and fried chicken which were good but what we really wanted to try was the fried beef teriyaki. We were told that we needed to arrive around 10:30 am because they sell out quickly. Their musubi might be the best on the island but for fried chicken, go to Zushi’s across the street.
Hours: 5:30 am to 4 pm: 845 Wainee St. Lahaina, HI
Olowalu General Store
We wouldn’t come here for dinner but for a quickie lunch or snack of Hawaiian shave ice, red hot dogs and/or manapua you can’t beat it. If you want something more nutritious, there’s a fruit stand next door.
Hours: 5 am to 7 pm: 820 Olowalu Village Rd. Lahaina, HI
808 Antojitos
There are several food trucks that sporadically appear on the streets of Lahaina, including a few taco stands. 808 Antojitos is one of the best and most reasonably priced. We tried their lengua, al pastor and chicken tacos with accompanying hot sauces and agua fresca (changes daily, we had watermelon water which was sweet and refreshing). They also have enchiladas and other mexican favourites on offer.
Hours: Wed + Thurs 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm Fri to Sun 5:30 pm to 10 pm: 741 Wainee St. Lahaina, HI
Whoever said there were no affordable places to eat on Maui just didn’t look hard enough. There are plenty of spots where you can get a delectable meal and not break the bank. It just takes some asking around. Most people will gladly tell you where they go for the best fish tacos or the cheapest mixed plate.
Have you discovered any affordable places to eat on Maui? Share them with us!
Ready to plan a trip to Maui and experience the local food for yourself? Contact a Flight Centre Travel Expert at 1-877-967-5302 or visit your closest Flight Centre store.
About the Author
Nat and Tim together for close to a quarter of a century, have indulged their passion for life and experience to the fullest, but they feel most alive when traveling, cooking and eating. An award winning chef, Tim has dedicated his life and career to cooking and the pursuit of honest food. As a professional photographer, Nat records their adventures with incredible pictures of everyday life and the extraordinary. They believe that everyone should get to know a culture by learning about the foods they eat and living like locals as much as they can.
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Did I miss the name of that lovely drink at the top of the post? What is it?
It’s a MaiTai, over 6000 are served on Maui every day 🙂
We LOVE Aloha Mixed Plate, particularly when the expensive luau’s music from next door can be heard over the fence during performances. 😉
We also love The Sly Mongoose – mauka side of the highway in a warehouse/office park – nothing like a good old dive bar where you can drink with “interesting” locals for cheap! Aloha!
Oh we’ll have to search out the Sly Mongoose, sounds like our kind of place 🙂
Great point, the people who live and work in tourist areas are not going out to fancy and/or touristy spots whenever they go out. If you look around, and ask a local as you say, you can find great hole in the walls.
That’s right and a lot of places in tourist areas have mediocre food because let’s face it, tourists keep coming.
Small mixed plate, delis and farmers markets are the cheapest places to go for decent eats at affordable prices in spendy Maui, great tips
Thanks Noel!
As I recall, when I tried to eat at Aloha Mixed Plate last time I was in town the parking was difficult. It may not be cheap, but one of my fave places in Lahaina is Hamburgers in Paradise. I just love sitting in that upstairs room, and the burger is descent.
We usually take a cab or the bus when we head to AMP, but you can always park across the street at the mall.