Before I left for Hawaii I made sure to check out local Maui bloggers.  There are quite a few.  One of the best ones is A Maui Blog, written by Liza.  The best part of Liza's blog is her "Where Locals Eat" section.  I made an extensive list from her recommendations.  When I travel, I try to eat local as much as possible.  In Maui, it was the only cost-effective way to eat.

One of the first places we ate was Leoda's Kitchen & Pie Shop, just south of Lahaina.  It's easy to miss if you don't know where it's at.  We actually drove right by it on accident.  Leoda's has been open since November 2011 and from what I can tell, the majority of tourists haven't caught on to what an awesome place it is...or maybe it's just far enough outside Lahaina, they don't know it's there.

Seating area.

Water station with biodegradable cups!

Closing time, pie choices were limited but still delicious!

They are known for their sweet and savory hand pies, along with sandwiches, burgers and salads.  Prices range from $3.75 for a mini pie to $15.50 for their cheese steak sandwich.  I went for the chicken pot pie and washed it down with a Vanilla Bean Dry Soda.  We took a 5" berry pie home for dessert (and they even included some whipped cream on the side!).  The chicken pot pie was delicious.  It featured a flaky, savory crust with plenty of chicken and veggies inside.  I was completely stuffed after eating it.  The berry pie was equally delicious with a light, flaky crust and perfectly sweet berries.


Chicken Pot Pie with a Dry Vanilla Bean Soda

 The best part about Leoda's is the friendly staff willing to give their recommendations.  I really liked the vibe, too.  It reminded me of a restaurant I would find back home in Portland.  For a split second, I actually thought I had time-traveled home.  Bonus points for having biodegradable water cups, as well as using locally sourced food!

How to find it: If you are heading towards Lahaina, it will be on the right hand side of the road (820 Olowalu Road).  It's easy to miss and I found that Google Maps on my cell phone was slightly off.  If you see the fruit stand, you've driven too far!  If you are coming from Lahaina, then you'll know about the grove of trees along the highway.  As soon as you start seeing a lot of trees, slow down and start looking to your left.  There are no places to turn around if you miss it!