Mama’s Fish House is easily the most recommendable special occasion restaurant on the island. Ask 100 people who’ve been to Maui where’s the one place you should go for dinner and 95 of them will say Mama’s. It’s not a “hidden gem” or an out of the way place that nobody knows about. But it’s the best.

And it really does live up to the hype. Located on Maui’s north shore just past Paia, having dinner (or lunch!) at Mama’s Fish House is a full blown experience. 

The setting is spectacular. The open air restaurant is beachfront so you’ll have views of swaying palm trees and vivid blue water. 

Request a table with a window view if you’re dining early, but after dark (which is as early as 5:30 or 6 sometimes during the year), it doesn’t really matter where you sit. Since the restaurant is located on the north shore, you’re not going to see the sunset and some people complain about that. “Why pay all that money when you don’t even get a sunset view.” Trust me, you won’t miss it at Mama’s. There’s plenty else to impress you.

The service is top notch. From the complimentary valet to the hostesses, bartenders, servers, and support staff…the Mama’s family knows that every person through the door is celebrating a special occasion and they make every visit feel like an event. 

And then there’s the food. A place like this could get away with a standard menu, but that’s not how they do it. Every time I go here I’m a little worried that it won’t be as good as I remember, but it never disappoints. 

One of my favorite parts is that the menu is printed fresh everyday so they can list not only which fish they’re using in each dish, but where on the island it was caught and the name of the fisherman. I’ve never seen anything like that anywhere else.

I must confess, I get the exact same thing EVERY time I’m at Mama’s. I mean, when I’m paying this much for a meal and I find something outstanding, I just don’t like to mix it up.

Guava fizz

Crispy shrimp wontons

Mac nut crusted mahi mahi (stuffed with lobster and crab) 

Coconut cake

Since it’s such a hot spot, you NEED a reservation. Prime dinner reservations book out almost six months in advance (they take reservations 18 months in advance) and lunch reservations are usually booked up about 3 months out. But good news- they have a waitlist and I’ve had pretty good success getting a reservation that way, especially for lunch. 

Traditionally I’ve always preferred a reservation time of about 30 minutes to an hour before sunset, but on my last visit I could only get a reservation for lunch (1ish) and honestly, I really liked that too. You cannot go wrong here.