Dive Into Maui’s Seafood Spots

When you’re vacationing in the middle of the Pacific, it’s only natural that you’d want to sample some of the ocean’s bounty. Fortunately for you, Maui has some great seafood spots offering dishes cooked in familiar styles or with a unique island vibe.

Seafood is made fun at Down the Hatch . This Lahaina eatery offers selections “Between the Buns and On Top of Tortillas,” plus appetizers, salads and “Big Plates” like macadamia nut-crusted ahi and cajun-grilled fresh catch.

Enjoy locally sourced fresh fish in entrees such as the Fish n’ Chips, Mahi Mahi Tacos or delicious Ahi dishes. Experience the flavors of the South with their Shrimp Po’ Boy. Chill out in the evenings with handcrafted cocktails and local beers during an extended daily Happy Hour.

If you’re looking for a restaurant that’s intimate and relaxed, you can’t go wrong with Mala Ocean Tavern in Lahaina. Mala’s serves tasty small plates and entrees with a healthy twist of organic, whole grains and no hydrogenated oils. All sandwiches come on a house-made flax chia seed bun. They have a full bar and an extensive wine list.

Mala’s  enticing oceanfront setting has it all—exceptional cuisine, delicious handcrafted cocktails, and an excellent wine selection chosen by their head sommelier.

As Sean Corpuel’s culinary skills outgrew the burger-focused menu of his Cool Cat Cafe , he decided to venture out into newer waters, so to speak. Enter: Captain Jack’s Island Grill , right next to Cool Cat on Front Street. “We created the concept around different ports o’ call. Captain Jack’s serves some of my favorite foods from all over the world, foods that we tested on the menu at Cool Cat before opening.” Their menu offers up all sorts of goodies in the way of salads, appetizers and specialty entrees like their award-winning lilikoi hand beer-battered Captain Jack’s Fish-N-Chips.

Captain Jack’s is a great place to enjoy a casual meal or a cocktail as the sun goes down, a respite amidst all the action and a bird’s eye view of the famous Lahaina Banyan tree.

[A version of this article appeared in print in the pages of This Week Maui]