KOAST — Restaurant in Maui

Fantastic food, warm and attentive service, and adventurous menu. Go check this place out! You'll love it!

We visited Koast for Happy Hour and light bites (that became dinner). It's a beautiful restaurant with ocean views. They clearly paid a lot of attention to detail with their decor and for the comfort of their guests (all the bar seats have hooks to hang purses, for example).

The menu is very unique. The chef pairs ingredients you wouldn't traditionally see together at other restaurants. Have an open mind going in & know that you're going to experience some flavors you probably haven't tasted before.

Our server was very helpful with the menu and every staff member was super kind to our baby - smiling, waving at him, etc. They were very attentive throughout the whole meal - my water glass was never empty for more than a minute or two.

Happy hour drinks were good! My wife really liked her Man About Town (hey... wait a minute :P ) It's a rye whiskey, cynar drink. I had their tequila happy hour drink which was a tequila base with muddled strawberry and cucumber. It was light and refreshing, a little on the sweet side for my taste, but I still really enjoyed it.

For food we had their Local Greens Salad, Ahi Meatballs, "Ham" burger sliders, smashed potatoes, and brocolini salad.

Local Greens Salad was incredible. Gently dressed, the greens were fresh and crisp, awesome flavors.

The Ahi Meatballs are wildly creative and incredible if you give them a chance.This is one of the dishes where we experienced flavors coming together that you wouldn't necessarily expect to see on a menu. I cut the meatball in half to try it on its own - this was a bad idea. With the entire context of the dish, Arrabiata Sauce, Pasta, and Meatball in one bite, the dish was definitely the most unique but also one of the best pasta dishes I've had. Just eating the meatball on its own... eh, not so much.... so eat everything together and enjoy!!

The "Ham" burger sliders were another creative take on a slider but with a bit of a hawaiian twist. The bun was a little bit hard but the flavors came together really well.

Smashed potatoes were fantastic. We got them plain so our kid could eat them but would LOVE to try with the rosemary and shishitos next time.

The Broccolini Salad was one of the best vegetable dishes my wife and I have ever had. We absolutely loved it. It's served warm and the broccolini is shaved and all the other ingredients are mixed in. Absolutely incredible.

Can't wait to come back and try more dishes the next time...

I am struggling a bit with how to review this place because while it seems like they put a lot of effort and thought into the food and service, there were some aspects that fell flat for me. The good: there seems to be a big emphasis on service, and everyone from the hostess to the bussers were very friendly and accommodating. The view at sunset is nice if you can sit along the edge of the restaurant — you have a distant view of the water over the brewery next door. I liked that they told you the prices of the specials and each fish when explaining the menu so that you didn’t have to ask. The not so good: Overall, while good, I did not find the food very memorable, especially for the price point. I also think that the sides are overpriced, even for Maui. I realize that there is more that goes into it, but $18 for not even a full ear of corn felt a bit steep. I also do wish that they extended the same price transparency to the desserts. There is no dessert menu, so they describe the desserts to you. I (wrongly) assumed that the desserts would be a similar price point to the sides. While the desserts are large, and we were warned of this to be fair, I was not expecting the chocolate cake to come out to $25. The pineapple dessert was $29. The similarly sized Hulu pie at Duke’s is $15. I do think that these prices should be disclosed as they did with the specials. I am an avid baker and even though the cake was very large, I do not see how it comes out to $25. I realize I should have just asked for the prices before ordering, but these were definitely the most expensive desserts we have had across all of the Hawaiian islands, maybe even out of everywhere we’ve traveled, so I did not imagine they would be close to $30 apiece. I would not order the chocolate cake unless you have 4 people to eat it — I am huge on dessert, and we regularly order 2-3 desserts when we go out to dinner, but it’s just really tough to justify that price point. I would honestly suggest that they make the chocolate cake half the size for half the price. The pineapple dessert is a showstopper, but again (as a baker and an ice cream maker myself), for ice cream, merengue, and pineapple, I didn’t imagine it would come out to $29. Overall, we had a nice dinner, but for this price I would pick somewhere on the water next time. By comparison, we had a really excellent meal at Lineage for half the price the following night. Koast seems to be a fairly new restaurant, so maybe there are just some kinks...

Koast is, without question, the best restaurant we have ever experienced in Maui – and that is saying something on an island known for world-class dining. From the moment you walk in, the space is absolutely stunning – modern yet warm, with thoughtful design details that make you feel like you’re somewhere truly special. It’s chic without being pretentious, and every seat in the house feels like the best seat.

The menu is extraordinary. The dry-aged meats are perfectly prepared, deeply flavorful, and melt-in-your-mouth tender. The wagyu is next-level – rich, buttery, and cooked to absolute perfection. But Koast isn’t just about the steaks; the pasta is beautifully balanced, fresh, and indulgent, while the fried chicken is a revelation – impossibly crispy on the outside and juicy inside, the kind of comfort food you’ll be dreaming about long after your trip ends.

Save room for dessert because Koast goes big – literally. The oversized desserts are showstoppers, both in size and flavor. They’re decadent, playful, and perfect for sharing (though you may not want to).

The cocktail list is as impressive as the food, with inventive drinks that showcase both local ingredients and world-class technique. And for those who prefer not to drink, the mocktails are equally thoughtful – complex, beautiful, and every bit as celebratory as their spirited counterparts.

Koast is more than just dinner; it’s an experience. Every detail, from the service to the ambiance to the perfectly executed dishes, makes it a must-visit. If you’re in Maui, do not miss it – this is hands down a 5-star destination that rivals the best restaurants anywhere...