12 Best Restaurants in Kaanapali and Nearby, Maui

Located inside the Hyatt Regency, this spot sits atop a man-made pool grotto and offers stunning ocean views and a gorgeous glassed-in sushi bar. The views aside, it's the food that makes Japengo worth a visit; the fresh local fish is well prepared—as are the sushi and hand rolls—and the desserts are amazing. Don't be afraid to get a little adventurous with trying items that may seem unfamiliar.

Roy Yamaguchi is a James Beard Award–winning chef and the granddaddy of East-meets-West cuisine. His eponymous Maui restaurant, located next to the golf course clubhouse near Kaanapali's main entrance, features signature dishes like fire-grilled, Szechuan-spiced baby back ribs, Roy's original blackened ahi, and hibachi-style grilled salmon, as well as an exceptionally user-friendly wine list.

To enter the only steak house in West Maui, you descend a grand staircase into an amber-lighted dining room with soaring ceilings and a massive artificial lagoon complete with swans, ducks, waterfalls, and tropical gardens. Chef Amy Mayers' classic menu features favorites like the bone-in rib eye and Tomahawk steaks with accompaniments including five house-made sauces and a variety of sides and seafood add-ons, as well as lighter plates like shrimp cocktail and the must-try black and blue ahi starter. The wine selection is one of Kaanapali's best.

Chef Christian Jorgensen left fancy hotel kitchens behind to open a casual place serving simple, delicious food—mango-glazed ribs, burgers, and classic Reuben sandwich—at reasonable prices including a vegan menu and kombucha on tap. If you're staying in a condo, the Chefs to Go service is a great alternative to picking up fast food (run-of-the-mill and usually lousy) as everything is prepped and comes with easy cooking instructions.

The spot's the thing—the view is amazing—at this casual eatery just steps from the beach on the grounds of the Honua Kai Resort & Spa. The food is reliable—fresh fish is a good bet—the style all surfer-dudes and little grass shacks, and the signature cocktails big and pineapple-garnished.

Located within a nondescript mini strip mall, this small place has only a few stools and a couple of tables outside, but it's fast and the food is consistently good—all it takes to keep the place filled with locals. The beef and black bean chow fun and the mahimahi (dolphinfish) with lemon capers are the top-selling favorites, but there are vegetarian options and lighter fare such as Grandma's spicy tofu, egg foo yung, and even a veggie burger. It's cash only, so arrive prepared.

The 5,000 square-foot venue Huihui, meaning “constellation,” is a new shining star in the culinary scene in Hawaii. Executive Chef Tom Muromoto created a menu featuring unique Hawaiian dishes using fresh local ingredients, showcasing the Island's diversity. The restaurant also serves as an educational tool for Hawaiian cuisine, cooking, and traditions in wayfinding. Micro-greens, ulu, venison, and fresh ocean fish are some of the island's offerings woven into modern fusion cuisine. A calm dining experience and breathtaking ocean views are the perfect backdrops for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Savor a cup of signature coffee and Poi French Toast in the morning, grab a venison burger and Poke Holokai for lunch, or paddle your way back at sunset for Pau Hana in the lounge for locally inspired cocktails like the Lilikoi Mojito and Smoked Li Hing Margarita. Traditional Hawaiian cooking is the focus of dinner service from koala (barbecue), lawalu (wrapped in a ti leaf and grilled), and Chef Muromoto’s signature Laulau steamed in luau (taro leaf).

A bustling, family-oriented spot on Kaanapali Beach, this restaurant designed to look like a sprawling ’30s beach house serves large dinner portions with an emphasis on fresh local fish. But if you're just in the mood for an umbrella-adorned cocktail and some tasty, more casual fare, head to the popular Barefoot Bar, where you can wiggle your toes in the sand.

When it opened in 1995 this was an over-the-counter pizza place, but it's evolved over the years into a local favorite, serving Mediterranean-style pizza and comfort food including pitas, gyros, and kabobs.

This restaurant proves that good food doesn't need to be complicated, using many local Maui products to do what the Italians do best: craft simple, delicious food that lets the ingredients shine. Must-haves include the panfried gnocchi Genovese, risotto-crusted fresh catch, and the deconstructed tiramisu.

Executive chef Tom Muromoto is a local boy who loves to cook modern, upscale Hawaiian food, and he augments the various fresh fish dishes on his menu with items influenced by Hawaii's ethnic mix. This casual, open-air restaurant is the only place on Maui—maybe in Hawaii—where you can have a Native Hawaiian combination plate that is as healthful as it is authentic. Sunday brunch, complete with strolling Hawaiian musicians and hula dancers, is renowned here; and if you're around for any holiday, chow down at the amazing holiday brunch buffets.