Overview
Thai Mee Up is a Thai food truck in Kahului, in the busy Costco / Kahului Airport food-truck zone on Haleakalā Highway. For travelers, it matters because it is one of the more talked-about casual meal stops in Central Maui: fast, outdoor, and popular for a full plate rather than a snack. The Google record still shows it as operational at 591 Haleakala Hwy with daily hours from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, and that basic identity is consistent with secondary sources. (roadfood.com)
The place reads less like a generic food truck and more like a destination truck in a shared food-pod setting. Multiple sources describe it as one of the best-known trucks in Maui, with a strong tourist audience but also repeated local endorsement. The main caveat is that food-truck details on Maui can drift, so day-of confirmation still matters even when the baseline address and brand are stable. (mauisnorkeling.com)
Cuisine & Specialties
Thai Mee Up serves Thai-based dishes with a noticeable Hawaii-local twist. The menu is built around rice plates, curries, noodles, and fried items, with a few seafood and chicken specials that get repeated attention in reviews and writeups. The overall impression is hearty, fast-casual Thai food meant to be filling and travel-friendly rather than delicate or highly formal. (orderspoon.com)
- Overall menu style: Thai comfort food in food-truck form, with a mix of classic items and local-fusion specialties. (orderspoon.com)
- Notable dishes / specialties with support:
- Pad Thai. (orderspoon.com)
- Drunken Noodles and Pad See Ew. (orderspoon.com)
- Green Curry Shrimp / Green Curry Veg. (orderspoon.com)
- Lemongrass Fried Chicken. (orderspoon.com)
- Garlic Shrimp / Crispy Garlic Shrimp. (orderspoon.com)
- Fried Pork Ribs / Pork Ribs. (orderspoon.com)
- Drinks: Thai iced tea and Thai iced coffee are listed on the menu; juice and water are also available. (orderspoon.com)
- Price range / spend expectations: Google lists it at price level 2, and current menu pricing suggests most plates land roughly around the mid-teens, with some specials a bit higher. In traveler terms, this is usually a moderate food-truck spend, not a bargain snack stop and not a sit-down splurge. (orderspoon.com)
- Dietary usefulness / limitations: There are clear vegetarian-friendly options, including green curry veg, panang tofu, and tofu special. Gluten-free friendliness is mentioned by a secondary source, but that should be treated as tentative rather than fully verified from official materials. (orderspoon.com)
Notable Features & Ambiance
This is a food truck park experience, not a standalone dining room. The setting is casual and open-air, with shared seating in a cluster of trucks near Costco and the airport. That makes it especially useful as a quick first meal after landing, a lunch stop while running errands, or an easy low-fuss dinner before or after airport logistics. (mauisnorkeling.com)
- Service model and seating style: Counter-service food truck with shared picnic-table or communal seating in a truck pod. (roadfood.com)
- Atmosphere and decor: Rustic-chic by food-truck standards, with a busy, destination-like feel rather than a quiet neighborhood-truck vibe. (roadfood.com)
- Amenities / practical features: The location is easy to reach from Kahului Airport and Costco, and the pod setup gives groups flexibility if people want different cuisines. (mauisnorkeling.com)
- Best fit: Fast casual lunch, an arrival-day meal, takeout-oriented dinner, or a “try one good truck quickly” stop. (mauisnorkeling.com)
- Weaker fit: Anyone wanting a quiet sit-down meal, formal service, or a highly atmospheric night out. Peak-hour crowds are also a drawback if you dislike waits. (mauisnorkeling.com)
History & Background
There is meaningful background here, though the public record is not deeply detailed. The strongest repeated story is that the food truck is associated with Chef Tom Sribura, who is described by multiple sources as having spent decades at Mama’s Fish House on Maui before Thai Mee Up. It has also been repeatedly described as award-winning, including mentions of recognition as one of Maui’s best food trucks. (roadfood.com)
Review Sentiment Snapshot
What People Love
The strongest praise centers on big flavor, generous portions, and convenient location. Reviewers and travel writers repeatedly single out Pad Thai, curry dishes, garlic shrimp, fried pork ribs, and noodle plates as reasons to stop. The truck is also commonly described as one of Maui’s top food-truck choices, especially for travelers wanting something memorable but still casual and quick. (roadfood.com)
There is also a clear pattern of people treating it as a dependable “first meal on Maui” or airport-adjacent stop. That repeated use-case suggests the truck’s location and speed are as important to its appeal as the menu itself. (mauisnorkeling.com)
Common Gripes
The main downside signal is not food quality so much as crowding and wait time. Secondary guides explicitly warn that this is one of the busiest trucks and that lunch and early dinner can bring long lines. That complaint appears well-supported rather than isolated. (mauisnorkeling.com)
A smaller but real caution is that some dishes are described by reviewers as more Hawaiian-fusion than strictly Thai, and not every item is presented as fully traditional. That is not necessarily a criticism for travelers, but it does mean expectations should be set correctly: this is Thai-inspired Maui food-truck cooking, not a purist regional Thai kitchen. (roadfood.com)
Practical Visitor Tips
- Hours posture: Google lists daily hours of 10:00 AM–8:00 PM, and a secondary guide gives the same general window, but Maui food-truck hours can shift, so same-day verification is wise. (mauisnorkeling.com)
- Best time to go: Before the lunch rush or after mid-afternoon if you want shorter waits; lunch and early dinner are the busiest windows. (mauisnorkeling.com)
- Ordering expectations: Expect counter ordering at the truck, with food-pod seating rather than a formal dining room. (roadfood.com)
- Location note: It sits in the Kahului food-truck cluster near Costco and the airport, which is convenient but also means traffic and parking can be busy at peak times. (roadfood.com)
- What to order first: If you want the safest baseline, the repeated recommendations are Pad Thai, curry, garlic shrimp, and fried ribs; if you want a more local-fusion choice, the garlic shrimp and pork ribs are the most distinctive. (orderspoon.com)
- Dietary planning: Vegetarian options are present, but if you need strict gluten-free or allergy-specific handling, verify directly at the window rather than relying on third-party summaries. (orderspoon.com)
Verification Notes
- Official name and core identity are consistent across Google, the menu/order page, and secondary sources: Thai Mee Up, 591 Haleakala Hwy, Kahului, HI 96732, phone (808) 214-3369. (orderspoon.com)
- Google Places shows the business as OPERATIONAL with daily hours posted. (roadfood.com)
- No major verification issues found
Sources
- Google Places record for Thai Mee Up —
https://maps.google.com/?cid=8305552520999082436— retrieved 2026-03-31. Most useful for baseline identity, operational status, hours, rating, address, and Google’s own category/summary. - Thai Mee Up menu / ordering page (OrderSpoon) —
https://www.orderspoon.com/store/ThaiMeeUp-Kahului— retrieved 2026-04-01. Most useful for current menu structure, example dishes, drinks, and traveler-friendly price checks. - Roadfood feature on Thai Mee Up —
https://roadfood.com/restaurants/thai-mee-up— retrieved 2026-04-01. Most useful for atmosphere, setting, chef background, and specific tasting notes on signature dishes. - Maui Snorkeling food-truck guide —
https://mauisnorkeling.com/food-trucks-on-maui/— retrieved 2026-04-01. Most useful for location context, service expectations, busiest times, and practical visitor guidance. - Only By Land Hawaii food-trucks roundup —
https://onlybyland.com/best-hawaii-food-trucks/— retrieved 2026-04-01. Most useful for broad reputation signals, price expectations, and commonly cited signature dishes. - Food Network restaurant listing for Thai Mee Up —
https://www.foodnetwork.com/restaurants/hi/kahului/thai-mee-up-restaurant— retrieved 2026-04-01. Most useful for third-party confirmation of the address/phone and the Guy Fieri feature with specific dish mentions.
