Paia Restaurants

This laid-back seafood restaurant is exactly the kind of place we dream about and can never find. It’s a super chill dive filled with natural light and communal tables, and it serves what many agree are the best fish sandwiches anywhere on the island. Everything on the menu—from the mahi in the fish tacos to the ahi sashimi—is caught locally and prepped the second it’s delivered by local fishermen every morning. If seafood isn’t your thing, the burgers and chicken dishes are all sourced from neighboring farms. You can’t go wrong. (There are two other locations on the island.)

This indoor/outdoor café—which is part of the sweet and sleepy Paia Inn—serves one of the town's best brunches, with a menu that spans from cardamon french toast to a breakfast board that includes both pork belly and lox. They source ingredients from local Maui farmers, and focus on whatever is hyper-fresh, as illustrated by an exhaustive array of fresh juices.

Another Paia town gem, this laid-back, seafood-centric dive with lots of light and communal tables serves what many agree are the best fish sandwiches on the island. Everything on the menu, from the Mahi in the fish tacos to the Ahi in the sashimi, is caught locally and prepped fresh the second it’s delivered every morning by local fishermen. And if seafood isn’t your thing, the burgers and chicken dishes are all sourced from neighboring Maui farms. There's a second location in Kihei.

Sitting directly on the beach and a little more high-end than the hyper-casual joints you might find in the center of Paia town, Mama’s menu of rotating fish dishes that change according to the day’s catch (you’ll find the name of the fisherman who caught your fish right on the menu) can easily hold its own as one of the best seafood places on Maui. The restaurant’s sister B&B is a good place to get a room before hitting the road to Hana.

Hana Ranch reminds us a bit of Cabo’s Flora Farms. Almost all of the food served at the quaint to-go counter and in the dining room comes from their farm and ranch, a 3,600-acre cattle ranch and organic farm in East Maui. They’re dedicated to responsible farming and livestock practices, aiming to be not just sustainable but regenerative, leaving their land and community better with each project. The food at their counter (sandwiches, juices, pastries, and meats/sausages) is ridiculously fresh and easy for grab-and-go lunches, but if you have time, swing for a full meal in the dining room to try signature dishes like their rice bowls, short ribs, and the now-famous Hana burger, which is served on a brioche bun.