Marco’s Grill & Deli

Marco's Grill & Deli – Serving Beautifully Plated Italian Fare in the Heart of Kahului
Local Expert's Rating:
4 / 5
The Bottom Line:

At Marco’s Grill and Deli, scratch-made Italian fare is the name of the game. They always use fresh, local ingredients alongside items imported straight from Italy to create their beautifully plated dishes. Whether you come by to try their breakfast, lunch, or dinner, they’re ready to serve you with plenty of aloha 364 days a year.

- The HawaiianIslands.com Local Expert Team

Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner 364 days a year, Marco’s Grill & Deli is pretty much always ready to serve you an amazing meal. All their ingredients either get imported from Italy or delivered fresh from trusted island vendors – plus they go above and beyond in creating scratch-made deliciousness. So, you just know it’s going to be good whenever you swing by their Kahului eatery.

Although it can get busy at times, they don’t take reservations. Instead, you just have to hope for the best and swing by as soon as your belly starts rumbling. Their location near the airport makes it a convenient place to go for a meal right when you get to the island and again when it comes time to go home.

As you walk through the doors, the team will offer a friendly greeting and get you seated at a table in their attractive dining room. They only have indoor seating available, but you can choose between a booth along the windows or a more spacious table in the middle. They do have a couple of seats at the bar, too, although they’re usually used for solo diners interested in apps and drinks alone.

Once you start pouring over the menu, everything else will drop away. Every last menu item is well worth giving your full consideration, especially if you love both classic Italian fare and island favorites. No matter what you order, you can trust that the team will take great care in preparing your meal using high-quality ingredients. They go all out in artistically plating each dish, so you’ll feel wholly impressed with your meal at first glance.

You’re welcome to take full advantage of their well-stocked bar as you enjoy your meal. Fine wine, craft brews, and specialty cocktails all await the chance to elevate your dining experience even more. Their alcohol-free beverages are fantastic as well for whenever you’d like to keep your mind clear for the adventures ahead.

Their most decadent items include:

French Onion Soup
Whenever you decide to dine-in, do yourself a favor and kickstart your meal with their French Onion Soup. They create this starter with a classic French onion soup preparation using locally grown Maui onions. Then, they plunk in the croutons and cover it all in tasty mozzarella cheese. After that, your soup slides under the broiler until perfectly golden brown and ready to tantalize your tastebuds.

Vodka Rigatoni
A true house specialty, the Vodka Rigatoni promises to leave you fully satisfied, yet craving more. They start this dish by sauteing imported prosciutto with garlic, and then adding it to a pink cream sauce. The sauce then goes over perfectly al dente rigatoni noodles before getting a layer of romano and mozzarella cheese over top.

Sandy’s Shrimp Pasta
Whenever you order Sandy’s Shrimp Pasta, you can count on getting fresh island flavors in every bite. This dish begins with shrimp and fresh veggies sauteed together in garlic, butter, and olive oil. After that, they toss in sun-dried tomatoes and capers before adding the al dente linguine.

Definitely save room in your belly as you grub on all your Italian favorites. Otherwise, you might miss out on their incredibly decadent Tiramisu. Well-known by locals and tourists alike as the best iteration ever, this popular dessert features layers of espresso-drenched ladyfinger cookies and lightly sweet mascarpone cheese. As it is a can’t miss classic, at least ask to take your dessert order to go if you cannot manage to enjoy it there.

Insider Tips:
-They only close their doors once a year for Christmas. They proudly serve their community great food every other day of the year.
-Special menu items roll out each season, so be sure to ask your server if they have anything new whenever you come in.