Best Maui Seafood Restaurants: Fresh Catch in South Maui

The scent of butter and garlic drifts across a lanai where torch flames flicker against the darkening Pacific. A plate of pan-seared ono arrives—caught that morning off the coast of Molokini—its flesh so white and flaky it barely holds together under your fork. Across the table, a chilled ahi crudo gleams with ponzu and micro-cilantro, and somewhere below the railing, a sea turtle glides through the shallows. This is dinner in South Maui, where the ocean isn’t just a backdrop—it’s the menu.

Maui’s seafood scene runs deeper than most visitors realize. Beyond the resort dining rooms, you’ll find harbor-side fish counters in Ma’alaea, family-run poke stands in Kihei, and chef-driven oceanfront restaurants in Wailea that rival anything on the mainland. The difference? Here, “farm-to-table” means “boat-to-plate,” and the fish was swimming while you were still applying sunscreen.

Whether you’re craving a $14 poke plate on a plastic chair or a $65 misoyaki butterfish with a sommelier’s wine pairing, South Maui delivers. This guide covers the best seafood restaurants across every price point—from Kihei’s casual fish houses to Wailea’s most celebrated kitchens—so you can eat your way through the freshest catch on the island.

South Maui’s seafood scene: where the catch is measured in hours, not days

Wailea’s Seafood: Fine Dining Worth the Splurge

For a special-occasion seafood dinner, Wailea’s oceanfront restaurants set a standard that’s hard to match anywhere in Hawai’i.

Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman

Peter Merriman’s South Maui outpost at the Wailea Gateway Center has become a local institution. The menu leans heavily on sustainably caught island fish—the fresh catch preparation rotates daily, and the ahi tartare with crispy wontons is one of the most ordered dishes on the island. The craft cocktail list pairs beautifully with seafood, and the open-air lanai seating feels effortlessly Hawaiian. Reservations fill up fast, especially for sunset seating.

Humble Market Kitchin

Chef Sheldon Simeon’s Wailea restaurant brings Filipino-Hawaiian fusion to the seafood table. The garlic butter shrimp is legendary, and the whole fried fish served family-style is a showstopper. Simeon’s approach—honoring local fishing traditions while adding bold, unexpected flavors—makes this one of the most exciting seafood experiences on Maui. Located at the Wailea Beach Resort, it’s a short drive from most South Maui vacation rentals.

Ferraro’s Bar e Ristorante

Perched on the edge of Wailea Beach at the Four Seasons, Ferraro’s serves Italian-inflected seafood with possibly the best ocean view of any restaurant on the island. The branzino and the seafood linguine are standouts, and the sunset service—tables set on a terrace directly above the sand—is unforgettable. While it’s a resort restaurant, it’s open to non-guests and worth every dollar. If you’re celebrating an anniversary or honeymoon, this is the place. For more upscale options, explore our Maui fine dining guide.

Local's Tip: Book Ferraro’s for the 5:30 PM seating to catch the full sunset arc. Request the lower terrace—it’s closer to the water and the sound of the waves adds to the atmosphere. Order the catch of the day; it’s always the best thing on the menu.

Wailea’s waterfront dining scene rivals any coastal food city in the world

Kihei’s Best Casual Seafood: Local Favorites & Hidden Gems

Kihei is where South Maui’s most authentic, unpretentious seafood lives—the kind of places locals actually eat at three times a week.

Coconut’s Fish Cafe

Tucked into a Kihei strip mall on South Kihei Road, Coconut’s has been serving some of the best fish tacos on Maui for over a decade. The beer-battered mahi-mahi tacos are the signature, but the grilled ono burrito and the daily fresh catch plate are equally outstanding. Lines form by 11:30 AM, and for good reason. It’s BYOB-friendly and cash-friendly, with counter service that keeps things moving. If you’re staying in a South Maui vacation rental, this becomes a weekly ritual.

South Maui Fish Company

A newer addition to the Kihei seafood scene, South Maui Fish Company at the Kukui Mall focuses on sustainably sourced, locally caught fish served simply and well. The poke nachos and garlic shrimp plate are crowd favorites. The vibe is casual—picnic tables, paper plates, ocean breeze through the open windows—but the quality of the fish rivals restaurants charging three times the price.

Da Kitchen

While Da Kitchen is known for its massive plate lunches, the seafood options are the sleeper hits. The fried ahi belly, garlic shrimp plate, and loco moco with fish are all worth ordering. It’s Hawaiian comfort food at its most generous. Pair it with a trip to our guide to the best plate lunch spots in Maui for more local favorites.

Local's Tip: Coconut’s doesn’t take reservations, so arrive by 11:15 AM for lunch or 4:45 PM for dinner to beat the rush. Ask for the daily fish special—it’s often opah or shutome that didn’t make the board yet.

Kihei’s casual seafood spots serve some of Maui’s most satisfying meals

Poke Counters & Fish Markets: The Freshest Seafood on Maui

No seafood guide to Maui is complete without the island’s poke counters and fish markets—the places where the catch goes from cooler to plate in minutes.

South Maui’s poke scene is one of the best reasons to book a vacation rental with a kitchen. Pick up a pound of spicy ahi, a container of shoyu octopus, some rice from the cooler, and you’ve got a sunset dinner on your lanai for a fraction of restaurant prices. For a deep dive into the poke world, check out our guide to the best poke shops in Maui.

Eskimo Candy Seafood Market & Cafe

Located in the Kihei industrial area near Pi’ilani Highway, Eskimo Candy is part fish market, part lunch counter, and entirely essential. The fresh fish case is stocked daily with ahi, ono, opah, and whatever the boats brought in that morning. The seared ahi plate lunch is legendary among locals, and their smoked fish dip is worth buying by the tub. You can also pick up fresh fillets to cook in your vacation rental kitchen.

Foodland Farms Poke Counter

The Foodland at the Shops at Wailea has one of the most impressive poke counters on the island. With 8–10 varieties available daily—from traditional Hawaiian-style to spicy sriracha to wasabi cream—it’s a one-stop shop for a rental kitchen seafood night. The prices are reasonable, the quality is consistently excellent, and they’ll pack everything for takeout.

Tamura’s Fine Wine & Liquors

Don’t let the name fool you—Tamura’s poke counter is one of the best-kept secrets in Kihei. Located on South Kihei Road, they serve freshly prepared poke daily alongside a curated selection of wines and craft beers. Grab a poke bowl, a bottle of rosé, and head to Kamaole Beach for a sunset picnic. It’s the quintessential South Maui evening.

Local's Tip: Ask the counter staff at Eskimo Candy which fish came in that morning. If they have fresh opah belly, buy it immediately—it’s the richest, most buttery fish in the Pacific and it sells out by noon. Sear it in a hot pan with just salt and a squeeze of lemon.

Best Oceanfront Seafood Dining: Where the View Matches the Fish

When you want the full Maui experience—toes-in-sand vibes, salt air, sunset colors, and impeccably fresh fish—these restaurants deliver all of it.

Gannon’s

Tucked above the Wailea Gold golf course, Gannon’s doesn’t sit directly on the beach, but the panoramic ocean views from its open-air terrace are spectacular. Chef Bev Gannon’s seafood preparations—especially the macadamia nut-crusted mahi-mahi and the seared ahi salad—showcase the best of Maui’s farm-and-sea-to-table philosophy. It’s a quieter, more refined alternative to the beachfront spots.

Mama's Fish House
Mama's Fish House is one of Maui’s iconic oceanfront seafood restaurants, located just past Paia on the North Shore at Kūʻau Bay.

• What it is: A family-owned restaurant founded by Floyd and Doris Christenson in 1973, built around fresh Maui-caught fish and Polynesian-inspired cuisine.

• Location: Right on the beach at 799 Poho Place, about 1.5 miles past Paia toward Hana.

• Food: Fresh local fish—mahi-mahi, ono, ahi, onaga, etc.—with produce sourced from local farmers. The menu changes with the catch and seasons.

• Reservations: They can be booked up to 18 months ahead, and reservations are strongly recommended.

Beachfront seafood dining is a South Maui ritual worth repeating every night

Budget-Friendly Seafood: Fresh Fish That Won’t Break the Bank

Great Maui seafood doesn’t require a reservation or a collared shirt. Some of the island’s best fish comes from food trucks, lunch counters, and roadside stands.

The beauty of staying in a South Maui vacation rental is the freedom to mix splurge nights at Wailea’s fine dining rooms with casual, affordable seafood that’s just as fresh and often more flavorful. A $15 fish plate from a Kihei food truck, eaten on your rental’s lanai with a cold Longboard Lager, can be every bit as memorable as a $200 dinner. For more casual eats, browse our roundup of the best restaurants in Maui across every price point.

Kinaole Grill Food Truck
Located at 73 Alanui Kealii Dr, Kihei, HI, 96753 (about 100 yards from Kamaole Beach 1), this food truck serves authentic local style plates and has several mouth-watering seafood options.

Paia Fish Market — Kihei Location

The Kihei outpost of this beloved North Shore original serves the same massive, no-nonsense fish plates that made the Paia location famous. Order the fresh catch sandwich on a bulky roll—it’s a half-pound of grilled fish with coleslaw and fries for under $20. The fish and chips are equally outstanding. It’s casual, loud, and always packed, which tells you everything you need to know.

Where to Stay for the Best Seafood Access in South Maui

One of the biggest advantages of staying in a South Maui vacation rental is proximity to the island’s seafood scene. Unlike resort guests locked into hotel restaurants, rental guests can walk to Kihei’s casual fish counters for lunch, cook market-fresh poke on their own lanai for a sunset appetizer, and still dress up for a Wailea fine dining experience at night.

Kihei vacation rentals put you within walking distance of Coconut’s Fish Cafe, Eskimo Candy, and half a dozen poke counters. Wailea rentals place you steps from Monkeypod Kitchen, Humble Market Kitchin, and the island’s most celebrated oceanfront restaurants. And every rental with a full kitchen means you can bring the fish market home—sear fresh ahi, grill mahi-mahi on the barbecue, or build your own poke bowls for a fraction of restaurant prices.

It’s the kind of culinary freedom that transforms a vacation from a series of restaurant reservations into a genuine immersion in Maui’s food culture. For more on the outdoor dining scene, see our guide to the best outdoor dining in Maui.

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Quick-Reference Recap: Best Maui Seafood Restaurants

• Fine Dining: Monkeypod Kitchen, Humble Market Kitchin, Ferraro’s (Wailea)

• Casual Favorites: Coconut’s Fish Cafe, South Maui Fish Company, Da Kitchen (Kihei)

• Poke & Markets: Eskimo Candy, Foodland Farms, Tamura’s (Kihei/Wailea)

• Oceanfront: Mama's Fish House (Kuau - just past Paia)

• Budget-Friendly: Paia Fish Market Kihei

• Best for Rental Kitchens: Eskimo Candy (fresh fillets), Foodland Farms (poke counter), Tamura’s (poke + wine)

• Pro Move: Book a South Maui rental with a full kitchen to mix restaurant nights with market-fresh home cooking

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