It’s no surprise that the little town of Paia on Maui has a world-famous seafood restaurant. Mama’s Fish House is just seconds from the beach and made TripAdvisor’s top 10 list of favorite fine dining restaurants in the nation.
Coming in at #10, Mama’s has a beautiful oceanfront setting and open-aired seating, allowing the gentle trades to breeze right through. Although it’s classified as a fine dining restaurant, there’s still a subtle casualness about Mama’s – maybe it’s the swaying palm trees outside. Regardless, the fancy entrees and ambiance inside easily fit the fine-dining bill.
Of course, in all of its fanciness comes a fancy price. Appetizers range from $16 to $24, while entrees can cost as much as $75 a plate; mostly because you’re getting the cream of the crop when it comes to Pacific Island seafoods. From Kauai prawns to calamari, there’s a perse selection at Mama’s.
Because almost everything on the menu includes some type of seafood, I would not recommend this place to non-seafood lovers. There are a couple of salads, however, that could satisfy those foodies. Not sure how filling it would be though.
A little bit of history on Mama’s: the Christenson family opened the restaurant in 1973 after sailing the South Pacific, according to their website. They converted an old beach house into this now-award-winning restaurant and have been serving fresh fish dishes ever since.
MAMA’S FISH HOUSE
• 799 Poho Pl., Paia, HI 96779 • 808-579-8488 • www.mamasfishhouse.com
