Maui friends,
do you think this restaurant is worth it? I have driven by the sign probably 60 times in the last 40 years, and have always wondered about it. Way back I was with my folks and we just wanted to get to the West side asap. This time around, we will have a little more time on our hands. We love good food but I'm worried it won't live up to it's hype.

Thoughts?

Also, has anyone been to Merriman's Kapalua? That is also on my list.

Thanks!

I love Merrimans for sunset and food, service.. I love Mamas for a late lunch. On our last visit our waiter kindly packed up our crudo and leftovers on ice for our drive to the west side. Is it worth the tariff. That's hard to call. It has been for me.

No. There are myriad places with fabulous views and great ambiance on Maui. The price is simply out of line, IMVHO.

Thanks!

Is their lunch menu less expensive than dinner or is it the same all day?

same. light vs darkness vs view

Yes, there are myriad places with fabulous views and great ambiance on Maui, including Merriman's, but for us, Mama's is a one of a kind experience, and worth trying at least once. Merriman's has that great setting, but otherwise looks and feels like those myriad other fine dining restaurants.

I don't recall anything about the food we ate at Mama's, only the setting. It was fun to do once.

I thought it was a good one time experience.
Setting is gorgeous, service is professional and the food is very good.
Go, enjoy, don't worry about the money.

logandog, I seem have been saying that about quite a bit on this trip!

I honestly don't mind spending the money if it's worth it!!

do you think this restaurant is worth it?

No.

It is a pretty setting, but the food just isn't worth the prices IMO. It is tasty enough, but the menu is dated and not terribly interesting or imaginative. To my mind, $50+ for competently cooked fish is just not value to my mind. And some of the other prices ($20 for the tomato and onion salad, for example) must be a deliberate joke.

I don't mind spending absurd sums on food, but this place just doesn't deliver enough originality or even exceptional ingredients to warrant the prices or the hype.

Only go to to Mama's for lunch...it is extremely pricey but very good.
I'm in Maui now for a couple of weeks and happy hour at Merrimans is fantastic..
Star Noodle, Paia fish market, Gazebo for breakfast/lunch..
Koiso for sushi in Kihei is fantastic but reservations are a must.
I love Maui and Dukes in Ka'anapali for everyday happy hour is great too.
Aloha

I've had one lunch at Mamas and half a dozen at The Paia Fish Market, a fish lovers paradise.
Koiso in Kihei is a five minute walk from our condo and serves world class sushi.

"do you think this restaurant is worth it?"

If your measure of worth is strictly price paid vs. quality of food served, maybe not, but IMO there are few restaurants on Maui that measure up under that standard. But we have fond memories of every meal we've had at Mama's, whereas we'd like to forget at least one dinner we've had at Merriman's. Granted, the Mamas experience is a little disneyesque, but that's part of what makes it memorable.