Let’s be real for a second. Wailea is by far my favorite place to stay on Maui. I’ve said it a hundred times and I’ll say it a hundred more. BUT…the dining situation? It trends heavily towards expensive hotel restaurants where you’re basically paying for the view and the vibe as much as the food. Which is fine! Sometimes that’s exactly what you want on vacation. But if you’re craving something that actually feels local and special rather than “generic luxury resort Italian place #4,” you need to know about Lineage.

Tucked into the Shops at Wailea (the upscale outdoor mall that pretty much every resort guest wanders through at some point), Lineage is doing something really cool. It’s chef Sheldon Simeon’s love letter to Hawaii’s plantation-era food culture…think local style, Asian-influenced comfort food that’s been elevated just enough to feel like a real vacation dinner without losing any of its soul. It’s the kind of food that makes you feel like you actually went somewhere special, you know?

Who This Restaurant Is Perfect For…

Honestly? Almost everyone staying in Wailea. This is a dinner spot, and it’s perfect if you’ve been doing the resort restaurant thing for a few nights and you’re ready for something that feels a little more intentional and a little less “charge it to the room.” It’s also great if you’re a food person who did your research before the trip (hi, that’s you, you’re reading a travel blog) and you want at least one meal that you’ll actually talk about when you get home. It’s not a quick or casual spot…this is a sit down, order a bunch of things, share with the table kind of dinner. And it’s right in the middle of Wailea so it doesn’t matter which resort you’re staying at, it’s basically walking distance or a very short drive.

One thing I cannot stress enough: MAKE RESERVATIONS. This place books up and you will be sad if you show up hoping to grab a table. Plan ahead.

Extra Details

Price-wise, you’re looking at a mid to upper range dinner…probably $60-100+ per person with drinks, which honestly isn’t out of place in Wailea at all. The difference is you’re getting food that’s actually memorable for the right reasons.

So what should you order? The Korean fried chicken is an absolute must. It’s crispy, it’s saucy, it’s the kind of thing where you’ll be thinking about it on the plane home. And the lobster Cantonese noodles…okay, just trust me on this one. It’s the move. Get both, share everything, order a cocktail, and enjoy the fact that you found the one dinner in Wailea that doesn’t feel like it could be at any other fancy resort anywhere in the world.

This one is a gem and it’s worth every penny ; )

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