Mama's Fish House

Mama's Fish House may be some of the most tasty, fresh seafood that you'll ever eat. My recommendation up front for seafood fans is definitely take time to go at least once during your Maui vacation. I should also say that this praise is straight from the heart. It is an independent review, and no payment was received for it.

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I had never eaten at Mama's Fish House until my fourth vacation to Maui. Its popularity is known all over the island. And I can say with confidence that it's a virtual guarantee that I'll be eating here again on our next trip.

Mama's Fish House is located on 799 Poho Place in Paia. Take the Hana Highway east from Kahului and make a left at the eight mile marker.



This was taken in front of Mama's just before our dinner. We called for reservations the day before and got a 4:45 pm time slot, which is also opening time.

The only other available time they had was 8:30 pm (and this was for a Wednesday evening, not the weekend). If you want more reservation options, I suggest calling them a least a couple of days in advance, regardless of what day you decide to dine there.

Having said that, we agreed that by arriving before 5 pm allowed us to bypass the waiting line which had formed by the time we left the restaurant two hours later.



So we arrived around 4:45 pm and got great seats with a gorgeous, open view of the coconut grove, beach and the ocean.

Keep in mind that valet parking is pretty much mandatory, so bring some cash to tip your parking attendant.

They don't have a strict dress code, but most people we saw were either dressed up in their "Sunday best," or were in shorts or slacks wearing a collared shirt.

The phrase, "you get what you pay for," is certainly true in the case of Mama's Fish House. Plan on spending between $40-$50 for the main entrée alone. Oh, but it's worth it.

All of their fish are caught the same day and are kept for only 24 hours, so you know what you're getting is fresh. The daily menu (yes, they print new menus every day) will tell you the name of the person who caught the fish, where it was caught, and in some cases the name of the boat as well! We were impressed that they caught our fish on a Maui shore close to us.



I orderd the delicious Maui Onion soup as an appetizer. For my entree I had the mahimahi "stuffed with lobster, crab, Maui onion and baked in a macadamia nut crust; Sautéed with Hamakua mushrooms, garlic, capers and white wine." It tasted absolutely great! We also received a "gift from the chef," a delicious poi cracker and custard square.

Our opinion when we were done was that you simply could not go wrong with whatever you decided to order here.

My dinner came to $99.00 including tip. Being a teetotaler (i.e., abstain from alcoholic beverages) kept my overall price lower than what it would have been with a drink.

My mouth is already watering as I'm writing this -- must return to Maui soon and enjoy another meal at Mama's Fish House again.



Everything you saw contributed to the ambiance of the place, such as this long canoe that I got a photo of before we started to eat.



You can't resist taking a stroll through these grounds. This is (above) another beautiful view of the ocean from next to the long canoe.



Another photo of the blue-green Pacific Ocean, right from the beach of Mama's Fish House.

If you enjoy fish and want to splurge on some of the absolute best seafood in Maui, you won't go wrong on your lunch or dinner at Mama's Fish House!


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