Kimo's

Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, United States

Or, how to cause steam to erupt from a waiter’s ears. We were on Maui over the Holidays with my wife’s family, and we wanted to treat everyone, but we didn’t want any drama when the check came, so my wife pulled the trick where you say you’re going to the bathroom, but you really slip the waiter your credit card. Well, she learned that trick from her father, who did the same thing, and then when the check came, my wife’s grandmother was also shoving a credit card in the waiter’s face. I’m not sure who wound up paying. Poor waiter. We didn’t mean to make him hyperventilate.

The one thing that Kimo’s does really well is, of course, fish. The way their menu works is different. You pick fresh fish, like ahi or ono or mahi mahi, and then you pick how it’s prepared, like grilling it or baking it. From time to time, the fish and the preparations change. It’s always good, though. They also have what’s called a hula pie, which is macadamia nut ice cream in a chocolate crust with chocolate syrup, macadamia nuts, and whipped cream on top. Believe me, too many of those will sink your outrigger.

The location couldn’t be any better, either. Located on Lahaina’s main drag, the dining area also overlooks the harbor and offers up some spectacular sunsets.

One thing to watch for is the ambiguous gender demarcation on the restrooms. The last time that we were there, the women’s restroom was indicated only by a picture of an orchid while the men’s restroom was indicated by a hibiscus. We’ll just leave it at that.

Here’s the address: 845 Front Street, Lahaina, Maui, HI 96761; Telephone: (808) 661-4811