What’s one of the best things about living in West Maui? The restaurants. This part of the island isn’t just great for Maui real estate investments, but for dining out and sampling a colorful array of cuisine as well. One of the trademarks of Hawaii food is the fusion of its origins. You’ll find exciting new blends of ingredients, flavors and dishes with roots in Chinese, Japanese, American, Hawaiian, Mexican, Mediterranean culture and more. Then there’s the seafood, which is a culinary world unto itself when you live in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
Aside from the food, the magic ingredient that makes the restaurant scene even better is the joy of outdoor dining in a place of unparalleled natural beauty. In fact, OpenTable recently released their list of 100 Best Al Fresco Dining Restaurants in America for 2017. Three Maui restaurants made the list, and there was something particularly interesting that stood out about those winners. They were all located in West Maui.
The winners? Duke’s Beach House, Frida’s and Kimo’s Restaurant all made the list. These winners were selected based on over 10 million reviews from diners who use OpenTable to make reservations and leave reviews so that other diners know what to expect from restaurants located all over the world. This particular list was specific to restaurants located in America, but no less than 25,000 restaurants across all 50 states were evaluated. The reviews applied to this list were collected between May 1, 2016 and April 30, 2017. So what was it about these three Maui restaurants that stood out?
Duke’s Beach House is a lovely establishment in Honokowai that’s known for fantastic Hawaiian flavors, along with celebrated breakfast and brunch options. Even from the inside of the restaurant, guests enjoy breezy, open-air dining surrounded by lush tropical landscaping with a splash of blue ocean views in the distance.
Located on Front Street in Lahaina, Frida’s Mexican Beach House has earned rave reviews for its delicious Mexican fare, and tables are situated a mere stone’s throw from the ocean. The atmosphere is both festive and casual, with the water just a few steps across their little strip of lush green lawn.
Last but not least is Kimo’s Restaurant, which is also located on Front Street. Unlike the other winners, this place isn’t a short walk to a beach, it’s literally perched over the water. When the tide is up, sometimes it seems like you could almost reach down and touch it. Happily for guests, Lahaina’s shorelines might just be the calmest on the island, and certainly one of the calmest. Appropriately, Kimo’s is known for their terrific seafood, which you can enjoy with oceanside seating so you can watch the gently undulating surface of the ocean, which sparkles near the end of the day before giving way to Maui’s famous flaming sunsets.
Hawaii had a grand total of four winning restaurants. Aside from Maui’s three here on the west side, there was one winner on Kauai. As far as OpenTable’s reviewers are concerned, West Maui is the place to be for al fresco dining if you’re in Hawaii. When you add in the amazing beaches, activities, shopping, art galleries, spas and various other charms, it’s easy to see why the West Maui real estate market is a hot spot in terms of desirability.
