Any of you craft beer lovers? I love a good beer but mostly I love trying something new and we did just that. Our first stop was to the Kohola Brewing Company. We sampled 6 of their beers. we liked them, but none of them were our favorite. The brewery is in a warehouse and kind of tricky to find, you will think you are in the wrong area….you aren’t. My favorite brewery was the Maui Brewing Company, hands down. They had this Coconut Wireless beer that was life! I seriously have more than 4 receipts from that place 😬 We would just pop in for a fish taco (so good and only $7) and a beer. Oh and you know it’s cool when you look across the bar from you and there is another fellow Iowa couple!! Small world. If you don’t love beer they have other beverages but it is a fun place to catch a game and grab a quick non-fancy lunch or dinner.
You KNOW I have to talk about shopping. Whalers Village in Lahaina is the where the high end stores are located along with a lot of other stores including and ABC store. Also known as a “catch all” store. So if you forgot something at home, I bet you can find it there! This is where I grabbed my favorite ginger chews for the road to Hana and the helicopter ride.
If you plan on shopping, I also suggest having them ship it to your home to avoid the taxes PLUS you don’t have to pack it home! Another tip is that if you are wanting to splurge on a new Louis Vuitton, do it there!! They price according to Europe’s pricing making things about $4-500 cheaper than the United States and only 4% tax. 🙌 I mean they don’t call it Maui Christmas for nothing 😉
Shopping in Lahaina is a little bit more time consuming than Pa’ia. It is more of a causal stroll with so much more to look at like the harbor, shops and of course more historical sites. We popped into Fleetwood’s one afternoon for a cocktail before dining at the Lahaina Grill. Fleetwood’s has 3 levels, the top being an awesome roof top patio with live music. Another day on our way to the airport we stopped back on Front street in Lahaina and had a cocktail at Captain Jack’s Bar and Grill. It was definitely just bar food but with live music. Definitely not something to put on your itinerary.
Nakalele Blowhole & Heart shaped rock: HERE is a link with all of the information and directions to get there!
Breakfast in Maui:
The Gazebo. It is a must. We probably went at the busiest time, 8:30 am, but the wait was at least an hour if not longer. It is worth it. Food was delicious and it is one of those places that people talk about. If you want less of a line, go earlier! We split an omelet and banana macadamia nut pancakes…..to die for and way, way too much food! Very kid friendly, open air restaurant.
Dukes: Our concierge told us to grab breakfast here. It is a beautiful place to sit and eat, very kid friendly, and the food was great (we ordered omelettes). But for us the server was not that friendly and we felt rushed. I don’t like to ever be rushed, but especially when I am kid free with a hot cup of coffee! Haha
Honolua Store: This is actually a general store up the road from our hotel, The Ritz Carlton, and it had the best breakfast fried rice! It also had a great coffee bar in it too!
Lunch: (All kid friendly)
Honu: It is on Front street in Lahaina and has really tasty brick oven pizzas along with a variety of other foods! Also great for dinner too.
Lahaina Fish Co: Great fish tacos. If you have never had one because the thought of it sounds terrible, try it! I love just the grilled fish but they also have battered fish tacos too.
Paia Fish Market: If you are shopping in Paia and need a little bite to eat, stop here! Very quaint but yummy!
Dinner:
Sansei Seafood & Sushi Bar: The best sushi in my opinion on Maui! Also if you get there before 6pm for happy hour everything is 25% off! Perfect time to grab a drink and an appetizer. They also have karaoke on Thursday and Fridays 10pm-1am. Tell Jason his Iowa friend says hi!
Lahaina Grill: This was a suggestion that several of you (my Instagram followers) told me to check out! This was one of our most expensive meals. I did not see very many children in the restaurant, mostly older couples or honeymooners. It was good. My steak was not cooked how I ordered it but my hubby’s fish was very good. Maybe I shouldn’t order steak across from an ocean huh? If I went back to Maui, I probably wouldn't return.
Merriman’s Kapalua: THIS IS A MUST. I should actually have placed this first on the list so you don’t miss it. My favorite place we went to. Although it was the most expensive, it was under $200 and we had everything from appetizers, cocktails, dinner, dessert and coffee. So really not that expensive for 2 people. More importantly the view, the staff and the atmosphere are all so worth it. Make your reservation early and make it around the time of sunset. Trust me. Very kid friendly even though it doesn’t sound like it, there are places for you to even walk around with them, and the place was packed with families. Dress code is beach casual to semi-fancy if you wanted to wear that nice dress you brought. But I wore white shorts and it was perfectly appropriate. Get dessert and get the donuts or they call them malasadas. Save room for them.
**Attached to Merriman’s is the hotel Montage Kapalua Bay. It is gorgeous and one of the top spots to host a beach wedding.
