(UPDATED JUNE, 2019)
We tend to spend quite a bit of time in front of a grill here on Maui and the best way to deal with smaller cuts of veggies and meats while barbecuing is to skewer them on a stick. So it's no surprise you can find fantastic food on sticks in restaurants and food trucks on Maui. Here are our five favorites. Note: the spelling of "kabob" is often regional, so we spell it as it appears on the restaurant menu for this article.
- Donut on a Stick from T. Komoda Store and Bakery (Makawao)
OK, this is something you wouldn't want to barbecue... would you? Hmmm, where there's a will, there's a way. Anyway, the premise of this is pretty simple, it's a donut... on a stick! That's pretty much it. But oh what a donut it is. Technically, it's five donuts, slightly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, with a wonderful sugar glaze. There is also chocolate covered donut, but we prefer the sugar glazed. While Donut Dynamite has some outstanding donuts, this is our single favorite donut on Maui. Komoda's has a long history on Maui and is also known for its cream puffs and malasadas. (T. Komoda Store and Bakery)
- Johnny's Fresh Fish Kabab from Pita Paradise (Wailea)
Large chunks of fish, seared on the outside, raw in the middle, on a stick. What could be better? Pita Paradise, a nice Mediterranean restaurant in Wailea serves up fantastic traditional kababs, i.e. chicken, lamb (especially good) and beef, but the fresh fish kababs are over-the-top good. How fresh is the fish? The owner of the restaurant, “Captain Johnny” Arabatzis Jr., fishes daily and exclusively for the restaurant. The "fish of the day" is what Captain Johnny caught that morning! (Pita Paradise)
- Chicken Yakitori from Star Noodle (Lahaina)
We pretty much love everything on the menu at the highly acclaimed Star Noodle. But since this article is about food on sticks, we'll call out the chicken yakitori. With five skewers of chicken, covered in a delightful, not-too-heavy teriyaki glaze, it's the perfect sized appetizer for large and small parties. At just $7 it's truly one of the better bargains on Maui. (Star Noodle)
- Shrimp Kabab from Monsoon India (Kihei)
Maui quietly has some outstanding Indian food. On the low end, price-wise, is Jini's Curry in Wailuku. On the higher end, you have Monsoon India and Kamana in Kihei. Monsoon India serves a few different kabobs, but what keeps us coming back is the shrimp kabobs. Six jumbo prawns, with a wonderful yogurt and spice marinade cooked in a traditional clay oven. But if you're visiting Monsoon India for the first time, we recommend the Monsoon Kabab dish, which includes the prawns plus chicken tandoori and lamb kababs. (Monsoon India)
- Child Menu Corn Dog from Teddy's Bigger Burger (Lahaina)
In our opinion, Teddy's has the best burgers on Maui. We didn't even realize they served corn dogs until our kids said they wanted to order them because they had them at a birthday party. Sure enough, there they were on the Kids Menu. We had to trade two tater tots for one bite in order to try it... but it was worth it! Teddy's really should consider adding corn dogs to the regular menu. Finding good corn dogs on Maui is tough! (Teddy's Bigger Burger)
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