Erin Elizabeth
As Hawaii’s second-largest island, Maui has around a million visitors annually. The island is known for its beautiful, white-sand beaches, culture, and of course, delicious restaurants.
People flock to Maui for the surf, the sacred Iao Valley, the potential for seeing humpback whales, and so much more.
What I love the most, though, is the abundance of fresh seafood and so many restaurants to order it from.
You can get all the most delicious fish, crab, lobster, shrimp, oysters, or whatever else you might be craving from the ocean. If that’s something that appeals to you, then you might want to keep on reading.
Best Seafood in Maui
- Down the Hatch Maui
- Mala Tavern
- Pa’ia Fish Market Front Street Restaurant
- Merriman’s Fish House
- Kimo’s Maui
- Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar
- Honu Seafood & Pizza
- Coconut’s Fish Cafe
- Eskimo Candy
- Lahaina Grill
- Mama’s Fish House
Whether you live there or you’re planning on heading to Maui, you’re going to have plenty of options when it comes to places to eat. Seafood is a must when on Maui since they have some of the freshest seafood in the country. Check out the best seafood restaurants in Maui.
Down the Hatch Maui
658 Front St #102, Lahaina, HI 96761
Phone: 808-661-4900
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You’ll find Down the Hatch Maui only four minutes away from Lahaina Beach. This is a delicious place to eat fish and eat alcoholic shaved ice.
The restaurant is relatively casual, with indoor and outdoor seating. I loved sitting on the patio, as did many other patrons. The atmosphere is tropical, and it’s a fun place to be.
Down the Hatch is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but I’d recommend going for lunch or dinner. If you go between two and five, you can hear live music.
I loved their lava lava shrimp tacos and their ahi tuna salad melt. For those 21 and over, you have to check out their alcoholic shaved ice selection.
Mala Tavern
1307 Front St, Lahaina, HI 96761
Phone: 808-667-9394
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Mala Tavern is only two minutes away from Old Lahaina Luau on Front Street. The outside looks like your typical beachy restaurant with a light green and white exterior, artificial turf for outdoor seating, and the perfect ocean view.
The inside is modern and casual. It’s perfect for a beach day lunch or a nice dinner to watch the sunset.
The menu at Mala Tavern boasts plenty of seafood cooked in various ways. They also have salads, sandwiches, and plenty of desserts.
If you love bread with your meal, Hawaiian Taro bread with honey butter is the way to go. For your entree, the Manila clams were my favorite.
Pa’ia Fish Market Front Street Restaurant
632 Front St, Lahaina, HI 96761
Phone: 808-662-3456
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If you walk for three minutes from Lahaina Beach to Front Street, you’ll find Pa’ia Fish Market. This beachy restaurant is the perfect place to grab a bite to eat before or after hitting the beach. It’s been a favorite since 1989.
The vibe is casual, and the staff makes you feel incredibly welcome. If you can, opt to sit outside to enjoy the fresh air with your meal.
Pa’ia Fish Market has everything you could want in a casual seafood joint. They have fried appetizers like calamari, clam chowder, fish burgers, and more.
One of my favorite things about this restaurant is their fresh catch plates. You choose your fish, how you want it prepared, and a side. I went with the snapper blackened and a side of rice and home potatoes.
Merriman’s Kapalua
1 Bay Club Pl, Lahaina, HI 96761
Phone: 808-669-6400
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Nestled on Kapalua Bay, Merriman’s Kapalua is an upscale seafood restaurant that you need to experience.
The atmosphere is elegant but still inviting. With beautiful wood floors, bright white walls, and windows that open to give you a stunning view of the ocean, you’ll feel like royalty when you dine here.
Merriman’s Kapalua offers a dinner prix fixe menu, or you can order a la carte. I suggest going with the fixed menu to get the whole experience.
The set-price menu comes with your choice of appetizer, entree, and dessert. I chose the Hawaiian poke duo, pan-seared Mahi Mahi, and housemade coconut ice cream.
Kimo’s Maui
845 Front St a, Lahaina, HI 96761
Phone: 808-661-4811
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Along the beach on Front Street is Kim’s Maui. This two-story restaurant is the epitome of a beachy seafood restaurant. The exterior is a beautiful light green with dark wood features.
Kimo’s is casual and welcoming. The best in Maui to sit is upstairs on their deck where you can have a fantastic view of the ocean.
Kimo’s is open for lunch and dinner. While their menus are fairly similar for both services, there are more options at dinner. I visited during lunchtime and was still very impressed with their menu.
They have seafood appetizers, salads, burgers, fresh fish, and more. I went with the chilled shrimp salad and local beer. It was perfect and refreshing.
Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar
Multiple locations
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Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar have two locations in Maui. There’s one in Lahaina and one in Kihei.
This restaurant doesn’t look as upscale as it is on the inside from the outside. When you walk in, you’re greeted by dim lighting, somewhat lively music, and staff that are ready to make sure you enjoy every moment of your dining experience.
Sansei is the perfect combination of Hawaiian and Japanese cuisine. They serve all your favorite seafood dishes and plenty of fresh sushi and sashimi.
The crab ramen with truffle butter broth was the perfect appetizer before my sushi arrived. The fresh salmon trio was incredible, and all their sushi is priced at market value, so be sure to ask your server.
Honu Seafood & Pizza
1295 Front St, Lahaina, HI 96761
Phone: 808-667-9390
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Honu Seafood and Pizza is a nine-minute walk from the Mala Historic Wharf. Locals and visitors love Honu because it combines two of the best things, fresh seafood, and pizza.
The restaurant is your typical waterfront space. It has large windows with ocean views, white walls, and light wood tables and chairs with blue accents.
Seafood and pizza may seem like an odd combination, but I promise it’s worth trying. They have classic seafood dishes as well as some unique options.
I decided to go with a traditional appetizer of fresh oysters and then for my entree I wanted to try something different. My server suggested the shrimp Mojo Verde pizza, and it hit the spot.
Coconut’s Fish Cafe
Multiple locations
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You have two location options if you want to eat at Coconut’s Fish Cafe. The good thing is that they’re both in Kihei on Kihei Road. Coconut’s is casual, bustling, and one of the best places to eat on the island. The welcoming atmosphere and the delicious food make this one of the best places.
Coconut’s serves salads, rice bowls, sandwiches, and tacos. Everything is made as healthy as possible without compromising comforting flavor.
While it was challenging not to order one of everything since it sounded good, I ordered their famous fish tacos. Each taco comes with tomatoes, slaw, cheese, and mango salsa.
Eskimo Candy
2665 Wai Wai Pl, Kihei, HI 96753
Phone: 808-891-8898
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You’ll find Eskimo Candy right outside the entrance of Kihei Regional Park. Eskimo Candy is more than just a seafood restaurant.
It’s also a seafood market. When you walk in, you’re greeted with classic ocean decor. There are fishnets on the ceiling with faux starfish, chalkboards with menus, and even a fake fish head on the walls.
I wasn’t sure what I wanted to order, so I asked a staff member what some of their most popular options were.
They told me the fish and chips were fabulous, as are their fish tacos and the captain’s platter. I opted for the captain’s platter because you get scallops, coconut shrimp, oysters, fish of the day, and calamari.
Lahaina Grill
127 Lahainaluna Rd, Lahaina, HI 96761
Phone: 808-667-5117
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Lahaina Grill is less than half a mile from the Lahaina Historic District. This fine-dining seafood restaurant is also a historic place that’s filled with beautiful artwork.
When you dine here, you’ll be sitting at a table with a white linen tablecloth with bright lighting that elevates anyone’s mood.
The chefs at Lahaina Grill specialize in making traditional steak and seafood recipes from Hawaii. I’ve been fortunate to eat here on more than one occasion, and my top two dishes are their tequila shrimp and firecracker rice and the Kona coffee roasted rack of lamb. Their wine and cocktail list are worth checking out too.
Mama’s Fish House
799 Poho Pl, Paia, HI 96779
Phone: 808-579-8488
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Mama’s Fish House is less than a mile from Ho’okipa Beach. If you only eat at one of the restaurants on this list, it has to be Mama’s.
It’s a local landmark with perfect ocean views, beautiful Polynesian and Hawaiian decor, and a welcoming and warm atmosphere.
Their seafood is unique and caught fresh daily. Some of their best dishes include the Mama’s fish curry with ahi tuna, Mahi Mahi, and Antarctic toothfish, short rib, and lobster tail.
If you ask me, Mama’s curry is the way to go. If you manage to save room for dessert, their Polynesian black pearl is famous for being absolutely delicious.
Final Thoughts
It’s no secret that Maui has its fair share of fabulous seafood restaurants. You won’t want to miss dining at any of these restaurants, from classic seafood dishes to something you can only find on the island during your stay.
Did we leave a restaurant out of this list? Make sure you leave us a comment, and we’ll check it out!
