Poi By The Pound

We stumbled into the very best Hawaiian food place in Lahaina by using Siri. It’s a bit hard to find but well worth the effort. It’s right across the street from the pawn shop in the business center /​your gps works to get you that far. Best locomoco I’ve eaten, and amazing bbq chicken teriyaki. Nice people. This is a don’t miss!
If you are a Mac salad fan you will love this version of the Hawaiian standard. It’s soft but not over cooked and has a fresh seasoning that I wish I could identify. Super yummy.

On every trip back to Maui, this place is a must to visit. I just have to remember to plan what to eat on my trip each day because most restaurants in town, including this one, are closed on Sunday’s.
I noticed that the last time I ate here, they had moved over one door to a bigger space. I’m glad they did this because they are getting to be more and more popular and will need more space eventually. Smart move.
I usually get the Hawaiian plate which is super reasonable for $ 16.75. It comes with laulau, Kalua pork, chicken long rice, poke, poi, rice and Mac salad. I never can eat it all, so this time I wanted to try the hamburger steak with mushrooms and onions. It came with two good-​size hamburger patties with lots of gravy, mushrooms, and onions. Thinking I had a chance to eat this all was a joke on me… I couldn’t finish this either! I can’t complain though because I didn’t mind eating the rest of it the next day. So yummy!
Service is always great. Everyone is super friendly. Great local food joint in town.

Poi By The Pound is located on Ho’ohana street in the Kahului Industrial area. There is only a few stalls available in the front, or there is always street parking available which isnt that bad either.
The Grub.
[[ HAWAIIAN PLATE $ 19.40 ]]
this plate includes lau lau, kalua pork, chicken long rice, lomi salmon, poke, poi, rice and mac salad. This plate was HUGE! For $ 20, it’s totally worth it. You get a little bit of everything and its great for sharing.

I arrived at 2:30 on a Saturday and was immediately seated. The waitress was very quick and knowledgable on the menu… I ordered the «Hawaiian Plate» which I was told was the most popular. My food arrived very quickly, which is expected being that everything is pre cooked. Kalua Pig, laulau 1 scoop of rice, Mac salad, poi, poke, lomi salmon and chicken long rice. Besides the kalua pig which was dry, oily and a bit flavorless, everything else was superb.

Food & service on point.
Their mac salad and rice is the best! Really soft and moist but not soggy. No idea how they make it like that.
Hawaiian plate– perfect to try everything. Kahlua pork is best I’ve had, lau lau is pretty good. Chicken long rice is okay but a bit salty for my taste. The lomi salmon and poke are pretty good also.
Squid lu’au– it is NOTHING like indian saag (no offense to the other review). Saag is spinach and cream based, lu’au is coconut milk and taro leaf. This one is a bit sweet for me since they go heavy on the coconut milk but still great. A lot of squid! The plate came with a side of lomi salad, poke, rice, mac.
I think you can’t go wrong with this combo and hawaiian plate for ²⁄₃ people. I want to go back for the loco moco.
*there is a table next to the speaker, not recommended if you are sensitive to noise as they blast the radio.
Went back a second time and did takeout. Extra crab Mac this time!!! Loco moco was great– amazing gravy and burnt beef patties in a good way. We got roast pork which was kahlua pork with gravy on top– also awesome!

What a gem! Fabulous food and a perfect spot for a last Maui meal before the late night flight back to the mainland. This place temporarily made me forget vacation was ending, but I’m still sad I wasn’t able to try one of everything. The poke bowl was the perfect appetizer and my kahlua pork moco was beyond satisfying. I also sampled my fiancé’s scrumptious boneless ribs. Cannot wait to return to Maui and eat here more than just the one day!

It was our first time here and we wanted to try everything so we shared the Hawaiian plate. Service was super friendly and credit cards are accepted!
The poi itself was sadly flavorless but we loved the pork and poke. Next time we’ll get a huge plate of kalua pork and poke instead!

My husband and I came here before out flight back home to Oahu. We shared a Hawaiian combo plate which came w/​rice, Kalua pig, lau lau, Mac salad, poke, poi, lomi salmon, & chicken long rice. We also ordered a side squid luau which was really good. We should’ve ordered a medium instead of a small. The portions are big & for everything we ordered it came out to $ 24 which is a good deal. One thing i wish that it would’ve came w/​haupia. I also wanted to order a kulolo but they were sold out by the time we got there which was about 6pm & they close at 8pm. I definitely recommend stopping by this place for Hawaiian food when in Maui!

We picked this spot because of it’s proximity to the airport and because of the reviews.
I ordered a Hawaiian plate to share with my boyfriend. Portion wise, it was decent for two people. I was a little disappointed with the meat (kalua pig and the lau lau). Both were dry, it wasn’t moist as I had hoped. The chicken long rice was decent, but more on the saltier side.
The poi was the highlight. The texture and flavor were both very good. It does have a slight aftertaste and does appear to be refrigerated but I would recommend the poi above all else on the menu.
They do have specials listed on the board at the front of the restaurant and the interior is fairly updated and modern.

My family & I were on the mainland for almost 3 weeks. The day after we returned we were at Poi By The Pound to get some legit grub. My 2 yr old practically inhaled his poke bowl. Man, we missed this place. Food is always consistently good! Also, they’ve added more to their menu and their renovations are really nice.
It’s great to be home! Nothing like a meal from here to say Welcome back to Hawaii!

Kalua Pork was great, all the juices and oils are still there for great flavor. All natural, not overly salted. Mac salad is peppery and delicious, rice is sticky and proper. CHICKEN LONG RICE IS AWESOME. Solid chicken stock with thick glass noodles, boneless skinless dark meat pieces, strong hit of ginger in the broth, SO ONO.

BEST HAWAIIAN FOOD ON MAUI!!! I swear by it! I literally crave the Hawaiian Plate pretty frequently that me and my boyfriend get take out probably weekly! The location is a little hard to find but I’m sure anyone could find it with google maps. It’s in the corner across from earth runnings. This place is so much better than Da Kitchen, and their service is good :)

I was sent here by the Foodist Bucket List: Maui and was not at all disappointed! If you’re looking for a local spot to find real, delicious Hawaiian food, this is it. The mahi mahi salad maybe isn’t the best I’ve ever had, but if that’s what you’re looking for this probably isn’t the place you should go.
I had the luau luau plate with pork and it was really delicious. The sides that come with it were good, nothing special but surely traditionally Hawaiian. Especially the poi, which was awesomely plain and simple with a perfect mouthfeel.
Would I return just for the pork luau luau? Absolutely.

Consider as one of the top hidden gems in Kahului, poi by the pound does not disappoint in their offerings of Hawaiian dishes.
If you have no idea what a loco moco, poi, poke, chicken long rice and luau are, I highly recommend one person order the Hawaiian combo dish to get a sampling of all of the above.
The loco moco is basically a chopped steak with gravy on top. Chopped steak is not my favorite but poi was able to prepare this very well. It was crisp and fatty and topped off with a rich gravy sauce. If you like how chopped steak is prepared in the South, this dish is for you.
The poke was interesting and it’s the first time I tried it on hawaii so I have no reference as to how well poi makes it over others. While I’m not antagonistic to fusion japanese food, soaking raw fish (in this case tuna) in soy sauce is something you learn not to do when eating high end japanese sushi and it is hard for me not to think about that when eating poke. I give credit for the complex flavorings but in my mind, this is a dish that will be truly enjoyed by those who have not been heavily influenced by Japanese cuisine from an early age.
The chicken long rice was my favorite. It is more of a glass noodle (than it is rice) with chicken. I have no idea why this is called rice (b/​c it’s a noodle I think). The noodles are transparent in color and very chewy. My experience with these types is that the dishes are lacking in flavor but it was clearly not hte case. The chicken/​seafood? flavoring make it something truly enjoyable (especially since it reminds me of a Korean dish).
The luau is a very interesting dish. We wanted to order a squid luau but they ran out so we opted for the beef luau instead. To sum this dish up, this is akin to an Indian Saag with beef minus the heavy spices. I found this dish to be interesting, enjoyable, and easier on my stomach since it wasn’t rich.
The last of the dishes I tried was the Poi. To the best of my understanding, this is pretty much a Taro pudding minus any sugar. It is thick and flavorless. I don’t mean to offend anyone (especially the natives) but I was utterly confused as to how and why I should be eating this especially at a time when I’m trying to watch my weight. It is «flavorless» (not bad). All I can see this doing is adding texture if you eat with the other dishes you order.
Overall, I found Poi by the Pound as a fantastic local dining area with nice and friendly staff. Considering how expensive food in Maui can get, I think it’s a bargain to pay $ 18 for a combo plate that allows you to sample most of the local offerings. Thank you Poi for the wonderful experience!

One of the wonderful things about Maui are the many family owned local food establishments that are filled with aloha for their food and especially their customers. This is certainly the case at Poi by the Pound. This day found me in a very important meeting with a wonderful customer of ours – Maui Soda and Ice Works. I had my boss from Chicago with me who had never been to Hawaii before and he wanted to eat «local». Well, you don’t have to look very far for this in Kahului. Brian from Maui Soda said, «Bruddah, let’s take him to Poi By Da Pound and what a helluvah choice that was. I hadn’t been back to Hawaii in a few months and was starving for some Kalua pig (ground ovened pulled pork) and rice so that’s exactly what I went with. THREE SCOOP RICE AND MAC SALAD w/​the Kalua Pig. Didn’t grab a pic of it, but I smothered the rice w/​shoyu (soy sauce) and went to town.
Normally I take more pics, but the aroma got to me and I was all about the eating this time and homie didn’t have no time to take no pictures. LOL. The kalua pig was the perfect blend of juicy, salty, and smoky. HOLY MOLEE that was insane.
Needless to say, I fell immediately asleep on the flight back and the flight attendant had to wake me when we landed. Yes, I had a smile on my face the whole flight back.
Mahalo again Poi By Da Pound. You’ll be seeing me again someday!

Came back… with friends from Hnl. This time I decided to have the Chopped steak with shrooms. Of course, since I’m on a diet, I got the green salad instead of the mac. Lol.
Thinly sliced and slightly charred. Just how I like it! AND ONLY COOKED WITH ONIONS!!! No carrots, bean sprouts, celery and other junk. Ok, well, I wanted sautéed mushrooms but that doesn’t count.
It wasn’t soupy or dry. It wasn’t too salty or under seasoned. It was done perfectly. Just a little saucy coating on the meat… enough so the meat is kept soft and moist.
I combo’d my meal… a.k.a got 3 sides… shoyu poke, lomi salmon, and poi. Totally worth it. I ended up eating ths sides before I touched my plate!
Another satisfying meal at Poi By the Pound. One thing I would like to ask of them is to please get the new dining area cooler. I was stuffed, but I don’t think I was breaking a sweat because of my fullness.

Great spot for lunch on Maui! I kanaked so hard after my meal.
Their Hawaiian Plate is almost $ 20 but we shared it amongst the four of us with the kalua pork loco moco and side order of squid luau and that was too much food. The plate had so many items and they were generous with them. The squid luau was too sweet for most of our liking but when we mixed it with the salty kalua pig and lau lau, it made it so much better. The loco moco was massive but it became too salty for us after awhile. Chicken long rice was on the saltier side too.
Friendly service and huge portions worth sharing makes Poi by the Pound a place to check out if you’re in the Kahului area. Their kulolo was one of the better ones I’ve had, $ 7 a block.

Been looking forward to eating here and finally got in for lunch
Exterior is a bit deceptive, but inside is clean, and comfortable, lots of seats big kitchen and Hawaiian music gently playing overhead
Ordered the Hawaiian plate, the most popular item on the menu. Delicious
Had the Hawaiian Sundae, I don’t know who created this sundae but das one smart Hawaiian
Looking for authentic Hawaiian food rich with local flavor? Poi By the Pound is the place

Poi by the Pound seems like a hidden hole in the wall restaurant from the outside, but when you open their doors… man is it packed inside! You begin to wonder why it took you so long to find this place.
When coming to eat here or take out, keep in mind that you will need to wait. Their grilled foods take 20 — 25 minutes to make because they make it when you order it. Don’t let that stop you from coming here, though. The food is worth the wait!
I ordered the squid luau combo. It came with a LARGE bowl of squid luau, one scoop of rice, one scoop of mac salad, and small containers of kimchee, lomi lomi salmon, poi, and shoyu poke. At $ 14.95 for this combo plate it does seem a bit pricey (hawaiian food usually is), but it is good! This squid luau is on the sweeter side. However, I like my squid luau to be sweeter so I didn’t mind that at all. I truly enjoyed each and every bite of the squid luau. The squid pieces were nice and tender. I really could have spread this meal into two meals, but I was headed back to Oahu the next morning and didn’t want to save these as leftovers that I wouldn’t be able to get to… what a waste… no tragedy that would have been! I got through most of it except for the poi, which I saved for breakfast the next morning.
I also saw that they had large pieces of kulolo for sale next to the cashier. I was surprised that it was only $ 7. I really wanted to get one to take back to Oahu for my mom, but I was worried about how it would keep because it was only saran wrapped. Sometimes kulolo will mold really quickly if you don’t keep it in a really cool area and will get hard if you put it in the refrigerator. I definitely want to get one the next time I come back here and don’t plan to leave the island the next day.

Guess what guys? Bruddah Fran got da GRINDZ tonight! YEAH BABY!!!
While surfing the Unilocal site, I was looking for da local kine grindz in Kahului, and I came upon a place called — «Poi By The Pound»!
After reading my Unilocal buddies — Joyce Z. & Lovesto E.‘s reviews… I made it appoint to go here tonight to get my grindz on!
Upon walking into this little restaurant in the industrial area of Kahului, I sat myself into a comfortable booth. A friendly waitress comes by to drop off a menu & takes my drink order.
Upon scanning the menu, bruddah Fran gots to have his Hawaiian Plate!
What’s in the Hawaiian Plate you say?
You got the following grindages —
1. Lau Lau
2. Kalua Pork
3. Chicken Long Rice
4. White Rice
5. Lomi Lomi Salmon
6. Shoyu Poke
7. Mac Salad
8. Poi — ‘Eh, if you no like ‘em…give ‘em to bruddah Fran… he grindz ‘em! In fact, I trade your poi for my rice! Lol!
What can I say about the grub?
Geeeeeez gang! Poi By The Pound would give — Ono Hawaiian Food, Helena’s Hawaiian Food, Young’s Fish Market, Yama’s Fish Market, Highway Inn, & Haili’s Hawaiian Food a hard rub I tell ya!
The Lau Lau was delicious! It had wonderful flavor, and the pork was not fatty. I also loved the Chicken Long Rice, as there were big chunks of chicken pieces mixed with the long rice. The Shoyu Poke was fresh, and marinaded perfectly! And the Kalua Pork was made perfectly! It was not too fatty, and not too salty either! They also served you a MOUND of that Kalua Pork! I was full, but I had to make sure I finished the Kalua Pork cuz it was soooooooooo good!
Although this place has been in business for maybe a year or so… they doing something good over here! If you appreciate Hawaiian Food, you should definitely give this place a try!
Right now, this place only has about 8 or 9 booths & 1 long table, but I was told by the friendly waitress that they are planning on expanding the restaurant to accommodate the many loyal customers that patronize this place.
Check ‘em out gang! No can go wrong!