LAHAINA, MAUI — Everyone wants to score a first-rate deal on the road. But deals can be difficult to come by in a tourist zone -- especially one like Maui, where the cost of dining can be as breathtaking as the landscape.
So we went to the people who know Maui best -- its residents -- and asked them for suggestions on how to eat well here on a budget.
Our local experts included Charmaine Tavares, the mayor of Maui; Bobby Santos, chef instructor of the Maui Culinary Academy; students at the academy; Bonnie Friedman, cookbook author; and Benita Brazier, of the Maui Office of Economic Development.
Their advice helped us develop this list of 20 great Maui meals for less than $20, our second in a series of occasional stories on getting the best value for your vacation dining dollar.
Bon appetit, or as they say in the islands: E mea ai maik'i.
(Note: Some of the restaurants take cash only, and some are hard to find; call first for hours and directions.)
Big meals, small wallet
Dining in Maui on a budget? Here's a guide to 20 yummy dishes for under $20. You'll like the variety, too.
SPECIAL HAWAII ISSUE
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Sunday, February 15, 2009 Home Edition Travel Part L Page 3 Features Desk 1 inches; 35 words Type of Material: Correction
Dining in Maui: An article about inexpensive restaurants in Maui, "Big Meals, Small Wallet," in the April 6, 2008, Travel section, incorrectly identified Honoapiilani Highway as Honoapiilani Road in the directions to CJ's Deli Diner.
--
WEST MAUI
-
1. CJ'S DELI DINER
Price: $7.95 to $9.95
Scoping it out: Only $10 to spend? Stop at CJ's Deli & Diner for what may be the best burger in Maui. For $9.95, our burger combo included half a pound of Angus beef (topped with caramelized Maui onions, cheese and bacon) a refillable soda and a heaping mound of wonderfully seasoned fries. The diner is cheerful and appealing and is just down the street from the uber-expensive resorts at Kaanapali. "I opened this restaurant because I was tired of all the tourist traps," says owner Christian Jorgensen, formerly executive chef at the Westin Maui. His menu includes more than burgers: Jorgensen's comfort meals include entrees such as meatloaf ($8.50), pot roast ($9.95) and roast turkey ($8.95). And you can BYOB without a corkage fee. Other pluses: Order lunch to take on a picnic or the road to Hana, and CJ will lend you an ice chest.
We loved . . . everything, including CJ's wickedly wonderful sweets, such as Road to Hana brownies or macadamia nut Hana bars.
We didn't love . . . that the place is hard to find.
CJ's Deli & Diner, Kaanapali Fairway Shops, 2580 Kekaa Drive, No. 120 (just off Honoapiilani Road); (808) 667-0968, www.cjsmaui.com.
--
2. ALOHA MIXED PLATE
Price: $6.25 to $13.95
