We went to Maui with only breakfast and 2 dinner plans for the whole week. We studied the book before we left. We knew exactly what to expect before we ordered dinner anywhere. From the top onion rings at the Hyatt to the Bento box at Cascades, we were truly surprised at the quality.
A true value!

The Treats

Top Maui Restaurants 2008 From Thrifty to Four Star: Indispensable Advice from Experts Who Live, Play & Eat on Maui

James and Molly Jacobson are a pair of well-heeled restaurant reviewers who don't want you to miss a four-star restaurant or bargain dive that serves great food. They make sure your visit is packed with options for great food broken down by location. They will direct you to the very best of places to eat on the island. Don't plan a trip to Maui without first reading this book.

We bought this book in early 2008 in anticipation of our 4 week trip to Maui in August. We've visited Maui twice in the past and could have used the book back then. We read the entire book before the trip, it was a fun read and got us really excited! We highlighted places we were interested in trying and we did not have one disappointing meal.

We cooked quite a few meals in our condo but the places we went to in between for breakfast, lunch and dinner were all good to sensational: Sansei (went 3 times, incredible food), Flatbread Company (best pizza we've ever had!), Cilantro Fresh Mexican Grill (we had the wonderful roasted chicken twice and the fish tacos), Seawatch for breakfast (very impressive and not too expensive, average $10 for breakfast but warning - watch out for the add-ons. Our son's $8.00 french toast turned into a $30 breakfast with extra sausage, strawberries and 2 glasses of juice. We did go back a second time and advised him not to say yes every time the server suggested something else to go with his meal.

Kihei Caffe (first morning upon arrival we woke up and checked the book for a breakfast suggestion. We were very happy and ended up going there twice, lots of food for excellent prices), Cafe Mambo - we tried the duck fajitas, thank you for recommending them, they were marvelous! Ma'alaea Waterfront Restaurant (fantastic dinner, wonderful view, superb service).

The book is organized alphabetically with the option at the front to search by different categories. Sometimes we wanted to look for a place by area such as Kihei or Kahalui and sometimes we'd just search for best breakfast, dinner, steak etc. It was extremely handy to have the address, phone number and hours of business listed at the end of each write-up. We didn't need to go searching in the phonebook! The updated PDF file of the book is a very thoughtful idea for customers.

We have recommended this book to several of our friends and we will be taking it with us on our next trip to Maui. It made our trip more relaxing not having to stress about finding places to eat and wondering if it's good or not. Plus the recommendations to try certain dishes were very helpful.
Great job James & Molly!

There are lots of good restaurants on Maui. But this book gives a great selection of the best ones, whether they are casual, local places or the priciest places on the island. With purchase of the book, you also have free access to the latest edition of their monthly updated website, so that you can check out any current changes.

We bought this book in early 2008 in anticipation of our 4 week trip to Maui in August. We've visited Maui twice in the past and could have used the book back then. We read the entire book before the trip, it was a fun read and got us really excited! We highlighted places we were interested in trying and we did not have one disappointing meal.

We cooked quite a few meals in our condo but the places we went to in between for breakfast, lunch and dinner were all good to sensational: Sansei (went 3 times, incredible food), Flatbread Company (best pizza we've ever had!), Cilantro Fresh Mexican Grill (we had the wonderful roasted chicken twice and the fish tacos), Seawatch for breakfast (very impressive and not too expensive, average $10 for breakfast but warning - watch out for the add-ons. Our son's $8.00 french toast turned into a $30 breakfast with extra sausage, strawberries and 2 glasses of juice. We did go back a second time and advised him not to say yes every time the server suggested something else to go with his meal.

Kihei Caffe (first morning upon arrival we woke up and checked the book for a breakfast suggestion. We were very happy and ended up going there twice, lots of food for excellent prices), Cafe Mambo - we tried the duck fajitas, thank you for recommending them, they were marvelous! Ma'alaea Waterfront Restaurant (fantastic dinner, wonderful view, superb service).

The book is organized alphabetically with the option at the front to search by different categories. Sometimes we wanted to look for a place by area such as Kihei or Kahalui and sometimes we'd just search for best breakfast, dinner, steak etc. It was extremely handy to have the address, phone number and hours of business listed at the end of each write-up. We didn't need to go searching in the phonebook! The updated PDF file of the book is a very thoughtful idea for customers.

We have recommended this book to several of our friends and we will be taking it with us on our next trip to Maui. It made our trip more relaxing not having to stress about finding places to eat and wondering if it's good or not. Plus the recommendations to try certain dishes were very helpful.
Great job James & Molly!

MY HUSBAND AND I ARE PLANNING A TRIP TO MAUI THIS COMING NOVEMBER, AND I ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO THE FOOD. JUST READING THROUGH THIS BOOK IS FUN, AND FULL OF INFORMATION THAT ONLY SOMEONE WHO REALLY KNOWS MAUI'S GOOD, BAD, EXCELLENT PLACES TO EAT WOULD BE ABLE TO SHARE. I APPRECIATE HOW THEY BREAK THE RESTAURANTS DOWN TO AREA, MAKES IT EVEN EASIER TO PLAN.

CAN'T WAIT TO TRY ALEXANDERS FISH AND CHIPS!!!!

great reviews of maui restaurants. we've been fooled in the past and valued this guide.

I have been going to Maui every summer for the past 21 years and am always in anticipation to discover which restaurants have closed and which have sprung up in their place. I am a huge "foodie" who looks forward to eating great meals out while on vacation. I have bought several other guide books that claim to be updated and am continually disappointed. Either the restaurant has gone out of business or the review is completely inaccurate, but not with James and Molly's book. This is truly THE BEST restaurant guide for Maui. And what makes it even better is the free updated download you get. You can purchase the book months in advance and not worry about things changing because you can check out any updates for free. I would recommend this book to anyone visiting Maui, from first timers to life longers, from tight budgets to no budgets. This is the book for you!

We have vacationed in Maui for a week or two for a number of years and thought we knew the restaurants pretty well. Guess what, we had a lot to learn. We used this well written book to try many new places and were not disappointed with any of them. The recommendations were excellent. We also avoided going to places where we would have been unhappy. Having this book made our trip to Maui this year even better than in the past. I hope the book continues to be updated as it is now.

This book was convenient for finding great food in the different parts of Maui. We are staying in Western Maui and the book lists all the food by location and favorites so now we know where to go for great tapas! The 4 category reviews are extra helpful when deciding where to go whether you are looking for a value or a great view.

I bought this book before my first trip to Maui, even though I was going with my boyfriend who goes about 2 or 3 times a year. It was fantastic! We both loved it! It would be a really great book to leave at your condo or time-share there, but it's also good to have at home so you can plan out your meals.
I avoided restaurants that I might normally settle on, and was satisfied every time! They're comprehensive, they cover the tinyest of eating establishments (huts, cafes, a sushi bar that seats only 12), to the mainstream, more famous places. They also write in clear, humorous language that everyone can understand, AND enjoy! I'm so grateful to have had this book, and used it on my 2nd Maui trip about a month later.
Don't waste your money in a place where it's so precious. If you buy this book, you will not be disappointed. If you don't buy it, you might just be...

I have been to Maui several times. But, always seem to eat at the same restaurants. I am heading back again in a few weeks and can't wait to try some of the off the beaten path places the guide recommends that I never would have noticed before. The information the book gives on places that I have already been to have been right on, so I have no doubt I will be happy with the new ones I try based on the book's recommendations.

I love this book and wished that I had one just like it for every place that I visit. I am a travel agent and travel often. I am always buying lots of guides to compare each other with to get the best advice on where to dine. I am a planner to the last detail and I HAVE to know where we are going to eat when we travel. It just saves so much time when you are actually on vacation. We love food and appreciate good quality and service. We don't like to spend a lot on eating so value is also very important. This book is great. We will be putting it to the test in June of 2008 and I look forward to comparing our experience with the authors. I am almost finished reading and highlighting the book and look forward to any updates forthcoming. Thanks so much...now Molly and James go live somewhere else and write another guide! New York would be great!!

I have a vacation home on Maui, so come to the island several times a year. This is the best, most practical restaurant guide I've seen. So far, their reviews have been spot on. I agree with their reviews for restaurants I know well, and I haven't been disappointed when they recommend a restaurant I hadn't tried before. A great resource for anyone who plans to eat out on Maui!

I have a vacation home on Maui, so come to the island several times a year. This is the best, most practical restaurant guide I've seen. So far, their reviews have been spot on. I agree with their reviews for restaurants I know well, and I haven't been disappointed when they recommend a restaurant I hadn't tried before. A great resource for anyone who plans to eat out on Maui!

Top Maui Restaurants is a book that everyone needs to buy and carry with them on their vacation. We just returned from a fabulous trip to Maui and we didn't have to eat any bad food. We ate at only the restaurants in the book, and their is a large selection so you can eat whatever food you like. We ate at different places for every meal and never experienced bad service or bad food. Thank you Molly and Jim for writing a book that is has real reviews! If only there was a book like this for every city I travelled too.

Seriously, get this book!

This was a great resource. I especially liked that the authors would give negative comments about certain restaurants - it made the good reviews much more believable. So many of these books seem like puff pieces while this book struck me as fair and balanced.

I wish I'd had a book like this when my husband and I went to Maui six years ago! Now my sister is going and I found this online and ordered it for her. When I tried to find the places we'd eaten, I started reading random entries and then couldn't put the book down! It was funny! Also, I love that the authors don't completely dismiss a place even it they don't like it. If there's one thing they do like, they'll tell you what it is. The most helpful part is for those on a budget. When we went, we didn't really budget out what our meals would cost and sometimes spent a lot more for a mediocre meal or bad service than we would have if we'd known anything about the place. I like it that they include "every" kind of eating establishments, even health food stores! I've already marked off a few I think my sister should try and I haven't even given it to her yet! Great format and new ideas for a restaurant guide. No snootiness here. This book is for everybody. I love this book.