Blog

Jun 22, 2023

Dear Lahaina Restaurants, Bars, Snack Shops and Food Trucks

Image: James Nakamura Dear Lahaina restaurants, bars, snack shops and food trucks, Every one of you was someone’s dream. Every one of you created memories. In the indiscriminate totality of what the

Image: James Nakamura

Dear Lahaina restaurants, bars, snack shops and food trucks,

Every one of you was someone’s dream. Every one of you created memories. In the indiscriminate totality of what the fires took, it’s the people we grieve for most and the suddenness and uncertainty of those endings. These are the losses that are permanent and irreplaceable, and like everything else about those terrible hours, unfair.

Against the magnitude of a community’s grief, we see you. You were part of the fabric of Lahaina. You fed people, gave them a place to raise a glass, offered treats to savor after a day in the hot sun. As much as visitors filled your tables and bar stools and umbrella-shaded lanais, you drew locals, too. We know how much you put into this town. You provided jobs, supported each other, donated to school and church and sports groups, helped anchor a thriving community.

We see you, Nagasako Okazu-Ya Deli. More than 120 years of hard work, from candy store to supermarket to old-school okazuya. And that shoyu chicken. Now that your family has decided to close for good, just know we see your legacy.

We see you, Sale Pepe Pizzeria e Cucina. As a mom-and-pop, you planted roots in Lahaina when you started your family and restaurant here. Your branches were growing—your pasta made it into Whole Foods Markets, and you were even running Pacific‘o on the Beach. You’ve decided that you’ll rebuild. We’ll be here.

We see you, too, Pacific‘o. Thirty years a destination for special occasions for family and friends from all over. A staff so big-hearted that some who lost their homes are out there making sure their neighbors are fed.

And we see you, Thai Chef Restaurant and No. 1 BBQ & Chinese Restaurant and Dirty Monkey and Betty’s Beach Café and TaquerEATa. We did our best to find as many of you as we could for the list below, culled from direct contact, news articles and your own social media posts. Asterisks mark those food and drink businesses that have been deemed destroyed.

So many of you have been thanking customers, friends and strangers for the outpouring of support in the days since the fires. We wanted this chance to thank you.

*808 Grindz Café, 843 Waine‘e St.

808Antojitos, 1221 HI-30

*ABC Stores, three locations lost

Adriana’s Cocina, 222 Papalaua St.

Alchemy | Maui. Kombucha Bar + Bistro, 157 Kupuohi St.

Aloha Braised (food truck), 58 Kupuohi St.

*Amigo’s Lahaina, 658 Front St., #145

*Badass Coffee, 671 Front St.

*Bakery Lahaina, 991 Limahana Pl.

*Baya Acai Bowls, 741 Waine‘e St.

*Beach House Beer Co., 121 Dickenson St.

*Belle Surf Café, 640 Front St.

*Betty’s Beach Café, 505 Front St., #120

Bipolar Eats (food truck), 222 Papalaua St.

*Breakwall Shave Ice Co., 658 Front St., #104

Burger King, 332 Keawe St., Building C

*Cabanas Cocktail & Wine Bar, in the works; never opened

*Café Café Maui, 129 Lahainaluna Road

*Captain Jack’s Island Grill, 672 Front St.

*Cheeseburger in Paradise, 811 Front St.

*Choice Health Bar Lahaina, 1087 Limahana Place

*Cool Cat Café, 658 Front St., #160

*Da-Soriano Grindz (food truck), 263 Lahainaluna Road

Denny’s, 1221 HI-30

*Dirty Monkey, 844 Front St.

*Down the Hatch Maui, 658 Front St., #102

*Drift Coffee, 180 Dickenson St., #115

Duckine, 1312 Front St.

Eating Local, 840 Waine‘e St.

*Feast at Lele, 505 Front St., #120

*Fleetwood’s on Front Street, 744 Front St.

*Hawai‘i Gelato, 700 Front St.

Honu Oceanside, 1295 Front St.

Huong Nam, 658 Front St., #145B

*Indian Grill N Curry, 658 Front St., #140

Jersey Mike’s Subs, 1221 HI-30

Joy’s Onolicious Grindz (food truck), 222 Papalaua St.

Kamala’s Kitchen (food truck), 814 Olowalu Village Road

*Keiki Bowls Café, 117 Prison St.

Kihei Caffe Lahaina, 305 Keawe St.

*Kimo’s Maui, 845 Front St. A

*Koholā Brewery, 910 HI-30, #55

SEE ALSO: These Maui Restaurants Are Asking for Help for Their Workers

*L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, 170 Papalaua St.

L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, 3350 Lower Honoapi‘ilani Road

*Lahaina Fish Co., 831 Front St.

*Lahaina Grill, 127 Lahainaluna Road

*Lahaina Sports Bar, 843 Waine‘e St.

Lahaina Sushi Ko, 844 Front St., #106

*Las Islitas Tacos Y Mariscos (food truck), 727 Waine‘e St.

Linda’s Kitchen, 961 Limahana Place

Mala Ocean Tavern, 1307 Front St.

Maui Breakfast (food truck), 150 Kai Hele Ku St.

*Maui Island Coffee, 658 Front St.

Merienda Maui (food truck), 1221 HI-30

Moku Roots, 335 Keawe St., #211

*Nagasako Okazu-Ya & Deli, 845 Waine‘e St., #213

No.1 Chinese & BBQ IV Inc., 840 Waine‘e St.

Noodle Bar, 170 Papalaua St.

Old Lahaina Lū‘au, 1251 Front St.

*Pacific‘o on the Beach, 505 Front St., #114

*Pā‘ia Fish Market Front Street Restaurant, 632 Front St.

Panda Express, 312 Keawe St.

*Papa‘aina at the Pioneer Inn, 658 Dickenson St.

*Penne Pasta Café, 180 Dickenson St., #113

Pizza Hut, 127 Hinau St.

Prison Street Pizza, 133 Prison St.

*Sale Pepe Pizzeria e Cucina, 878 Front St., #7–8

Shaya Fusion Cuisine, 961 Limahana Place

*Smash Maui, 742 Waine‘e St.

*Smokehouse BBQ, 930 Waine‘e St.

Sparky’s Food Company Lahaina Food Truck, 1221 HI-30

Star Noodle, 1285 Front St.

Subway, 910 HI-30, #16

*Sunrise Café, 693 Front St. A

Taco Bell, 127 A Hinau St.

*TaquerEata, 741 Waine‘e St.

Teddy’s Bigger Burgers, 335 Keawe St., #221–222

Teppanyaki-2-Go, 741 Waine‘e St.

*Thai Chef Restaurant Maui, 878 Front St., A-12

Thai Taste 65, 742 Waine‘e St.

*Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar & Store, 900 Front St., B2

*Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice, 790 Front St.

*VigiLatte Artisan Coffee, 844 Front St.

*Waikīkī Brewery Lahaina, 900 Front St.

*Westside Bagel and Bakery, 840 Waine‘e St.

*Whalers General Stores, three locations lost