We always make plans to go to Mama’s Fish House when we’re on Maui. The Hawaiian regional cuisine is excellent and the beach front open air-atmosphere is a pure delight.
Mama’s Fish House serves fresh fish caught in Hawaii’s clean waters. Most of the fish is caught around Maui. How do I know this? Their menu usually states who caught the fish and where. For example when we were there last, the Ono was caught by Willy Polendey while “Trolling the coast of Kaua near Mama’s”. The Mahimahi was caught by Alan Cadiz along the north shore of Maui and the deep-water Ahi was caught aboard the fishing vessel “Ao Shibi Go”. That’s quite a bit of detail showing how much care is taken in the selection of their fish.
The menu changes daily. Main courses range in price from $34 to $115. Most dishes are in the $36 to $42 range. In addition to fresh fish, you’ll also find duck, pork, and beef on the menu.
The restaurant is located just north of the quaint town of Paia on the northeastern side of Maui. The restaurant is just feet from a sandy beach. For me, it’s been impossible to resist wanting to walk along the beach before or after dinner. It’s lovely there any time of the day, even after dark when the tiki torches are lit.
If you’d like to try Mama’s Fish House, here are some tips:
- Make reservations (808-579-8488) as far in advance as possible. The restaurant is open from 11am – 9:30pm.
- This restaurant is very popular and for this reason, I like to reserve a dinner table for either very early in the evening, say around 5pm or later in the evening, say around 8:30pm. You’ll have a bit more elbow room and relaxed pace by dining earlier or later.
- It’s really easy for your eyes to get bigger than your stomach here. Portions are quite generous. You may want to skip appetizers and if you have any room left after your main course, order a dessert.
- Be aware that valet parking here is basically mandatory, which is a bit overkill considering the parking spaces are literally just a few feet away from the valet stand. (We avoid valets like the plague after Breakfast Lunch and Crab in Honolulu dented our rental car and wouldn’t take responsibility for it.) I’ve heard rumors that this parking lot is a place where the break-in vultures prey on visitors’ rental cars. So, be sure to bring your valuables with you.
- Read what TripAdvisor members have to say about Mama’s Fish House.
Want more Maui restaurant suggestions? Click here for a useful guide for finding other great Maui restaurants.
Have you been to Mama’s Fish House? What did you think?
Sheila Beal
5 comments
When it’s time for my “last meal” this is the place! Nothing else compares. We lived on Maui for many years and this was our favorite place. We began to go for Sunday lunch quite often and it’s a relaxing alternative to the busier evenings, plus you can sit and stare at that glorious water! Thanks for a nice memory Sheila.
I’m glad you enjoyed this post, Jan. Thanks for your comment.
After running into an old high school girlfriend and square dance partner from Colorado at Pukalani golf course while on vacation, she and her “roommate” took us to Mama’s. It was quite an unforgettable evening. There is a particular local cocktail at Mama’s that is worth the price of dinner.
My wife and I had a great dinner at Mammas Fish House on our honeymoon in 1999. We are going back to Maui this year for Christmas and are looking forward to a return trip. I hope it is as good as we remember….
Tim – We hope you have a fun visit back to Maui. If you’ve not already done so, you may want to check out our Maui Christmas guide: https://govisithawaii.com/maui-christmas-events-activities/