Where to Buy Fish on Maui
Everyone who stays in a condo on Maui eventually wants to try making their own fish. And when they look for fresh fish in, say, a fish market, they realize that we don’t have one on Maui. It make sense that we should be able to buy good fresh fish at reasonable prices somewhere on the island, but the reality is we can’t.
Except sometimes, when we can.
The retailers on this island – whether they’re grocery chains or independent shops – tend to make the standard mark-ups on fresh fish: 2-3 times what they paid for it.
In other words, it costs almost as much for you to buy the fish and cook it yourself than it does to go to a good fish house like Ma’alaea Waterfront, Mama’s Fish House, or Pacific’O.
Ack!
A nice red fresh wild ahi steak, for under $15 at Costco.
Most Maui fishermen sell directly to restaurants and don’t have much if any left over for retail (if someone local tells you they will share their fish with you, take them up on it!). The few “fish retailers” are usually – not always – selling fish that comes from elsewhere (salmon, for example, does not swim off the shores of Maui).
The supermarkets, notably Star Market, tend to have decent fish, but it’s usually been frozen already, and is not the fresh fish you’re probably dreaming of when you’re planning your pan sear.
So where do we buy fish? Anywhere we see it’s fresh caught and it doesn’t cost us an arm and a leg. Most days, that’s Costco.
The Costco shellfish case is wiped out by the end of the day... call them to find out when the case is full.
We just had a lovely opakapaka (pink snapper, indigenous to Hawaii) last night that was so tender and flaky it melted in our mouths. I seasoned it, dredged it in flour, pan-seared it for just a few minutes on each side to sear the crust, and made a brown butter sauce with lemon to ladle over it. One big piece of opakapaka cut down to four fillets: $14 at Costco with a $2 rebate at the register. Now that’s what I’m talking about!
Make Costco your first stop when fish-mongering, and you likely will find something fresh and wild for prices you can’t beat.
November 3, 2019 @ 10:37 am
You might also try the Upcountry Farmers Market in Kula on Saturday mornings (7-11am). I don’t know the weights, but we picked up a large piece of Ahi for $19 and a larger piece of mahi-mahi for $21. I made a tuna poke which was more than enough for two people as an entree (my husband is an avid cyclist with a big appetite). Get there early as the selection varies and goes fast. Also, lots of other great fruit, veggies, and more. Check it out!
January 23, 2010 @ 5:35 am
I agree about Costco. That’s where we usually buy our “inexpensive fresh fish.” There are many other places to buy fresh fish, but nothing beats the price of Costco.
Liza
A Maui Blog
August 21, 2009 @ 10:21 am
What about Valley Isle Seafood in Kahului? And also the fish market within Foodland, also in Kahului? Not Costco prices, but excellent fish.
August 21, 2009 @ 7:48 am
There IS a small fish market in Honokowai that also sells great sandwiches… we have bought fish there many times to grill ourselves. It is well known to locals and the condo dwellers nearby.
http://www.fishmarketmaui.com/Fresh_Fish.html
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-fish-market-maui-lahaina
August 12, 2018 @ 9:31 am
However the Fish Market Maui charges an arm and a leg for everything they have- $30/lbs mahi? Are you kidding me? Yes it is a fish market, but it’s not worth it. If you have money to burn it’s close easy and accessible. If not – forget it. So sad that there’s not a good fish market on the island.