Finding the Best Poke in Central Maui
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Growing up in Hawaii, I took for granted that fresh fish and seafood—especially poke—were always within easy reach.
Walk into any grocery store in the islands, and you’ll almost always find a poke counter near the seafood section. Each store has its own reputation for specific varieties, sometimes featuring prized, hard-to-find ingredients like special limu (seaweed), opihi (limpets), or pohole ferns.
Locals know where to find the best poke, and the “coconut wireless” spreads the word when a new item or a good sale pops up. In fact, ahi (tuna) prices make headlines in the days leading up to New Year’s because sashimi is a must-have on many local holiday tables.
Simply put—we LOVE poke. And it’s one of the first things I crave the moment I step off the plane.
To save you some time, I’ll tell you the results from my last visit to my hometown when I was researching for the Lonely Planet guidebook’s chapter on Central Maui: Kaohu Store is the winner for me!
I roped friends and family into tasting their way through a “poke battle” from some of Central Maui’s best spots and then taking them all up to Kepaniwai Gardens at I’ao Valley to have a picnic to try all of them head to head.
Here’s what we ended up with for this particular picnic (there were many more over the three weeks I was there!)
Tasting our way through Central Maui’s best poke spots
Kaohu Store
👉 What to try: My favorite this time was the ninja poke from Kaohu Store and I also loved the special limu poke! Kaohu has a reputation for cutting their fish to order in small batches, so you are going to get the freshest possible. But the flip side is that they can also sell out! You can also pick up sides like lomi salmon or pahole fern salad – ask for the specials. ✨ PRO TIP: Go early & call ahead (808-244-PUPU)
Kaohu Store
1833 Kaohu St
Wailuku, HI 96793
Location
Instagram: @KaohuStore
Oki’s Seafood (in Kahului Foodland)
👉 What to try: Oki’s had a great ogo shoyu poke and they are also known for their fresh fish, so you can also pick up some great sashimi while you’re waiting for your poke order. Located right in Foodland so you can also grab prepared items like spam musubi, karaage chicken, and pupu platters. I liked the ginger karaage a lot!
Oki’s Seafood Corner in Kahului Foodland
90 Kane St
Kahului, HI 96732
Location | Instagram: @OkisSeafood
Tamura’s Fine Wines & Liquors
👉 What to try: Tamura’s is a great wine and liquor store, but they’re also known for their large poke selection. I got the spicy ahi for our “poke battle” but the employee recommended the sunrise poke for next time. The tofu poke looked pretty good as well, if you want variety!
Tamura’s Market Wailuku
230 Imi Kala St
Wailuku, HI 96793
Location | Instagram: @TamurasFineWineMaui
Takamiya Market
👉 What to try: The sesame tako poke was really good! Takamiya Market in Happy Valley is definitely an out of the way location and a locals-only spot. I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way to stop in, but if I’m in the area I do like checking out what ready made items or bentos they have like pipikaula and ube chichi mochi.
Takamiya Market
359 N Market St
Wailuku, HI 96793
Location | Instagram: @TakamiyaMarket
To go with your poke…
A few other take out options in Wailuku to consider for your poke battle or picnic:
- Minit Stop – swing by to pick up spam musubis, potato wedges and drinks (Hawaiian Sun or iced latte/coffee for me!)
- Shikeda’s Bentos – go early for the bentos, pastries and other goodies
- Sam Sato’s – if you are heading to Tamura’s anyway, please don’t miss a chance to have some of Sam Sato’s dry noodles (eat extra for me, please!)
Where is the best spot to take your poke picnic?
I recommend heading up to Kepaniwai Gardens below Iao Valley, especially on a weekday. (On weekends, it can be very crowded as it’s a popular stop for parties and for swimming in the nearby stream.)
Pick a spot at the pavilions and enjoy your spread! You can also check out the heritage gardens spread around that honor all of the ethnic groups that came a workers to the sugar plantations on Maui.
Have questions or need help? I’ve got you!
Where to stay in Central Maui?
For those not lucky enough to have family to stay with on Maui, the options for hotels can be quite limited and over-the-top expensive. I did test out a few different accommodation options including Airbnbs, but to be honest I’d prefer that those short term rentals go to long term rentals for families that need them as the rental market has never been the same after the fires in 2023.
One spot that pleasantly surprised me was the Maui Seaside Hotel. Since I grew up on Maui, I never stayed there as a guest until doing the research for the book, so I really enjoyed getting to stay as a visitor! The rates are much more reasonable than your other options in the area and although it’s not necessarily a beach you’d hang out at all day – you literally are right on the beach. (As opposed to Courtyard by Marriott near Costco with no view.)
The central location is a great base for exploring central Maui (which you can do without a car if you have the time for the bus, or a budget for Uber). If you’re renting a car, you are centrally located in case you want to head to the beaches in Kihei/Wailea or Lahaina/Kaanapali and for day trips like checking out Paia/Hookipa, watching sunrise or sunset at Haleakala, or driving the road to Hana. Time it so you miss the rush hour traffic of course, but you can also easily spend time in Upcountry Maui or Ulupalakua.
