The rule on Maui: if it's in a strip mall between a ABC Store and a Coldstone, skip it. The locals eat in Wailuku — the old county seat, north of Kahului, where the plate lunch joints, Japanese markets, and okazu-ya shops have been running since the plantation era.

Kula upcountry is the sleeper — small farm-to-table spots and lunch counters that tourist Maui has no idea exist. The road to Hana has a few roadside stands worth stopping for, though the index only counts spots open on a consistent schedule.