Island Chef (Road to Hana at mile marker 29 Nihiku Market Place)

The food was fantastic—highly recommend! We ordered the fish tacos and shrimp & chips, and both were delicious. We didn’t have cash with us at the time, but the owner was incredibly kind and still served us, trusting us to mail a check later. 🙂 We ended up getting cash from the ATM in Hana and stopped by the next day on our way to the airport to pay them back. Truly great food and even better people, definitely worth a visit! Oh btw, a pregnant cat was there too. Very friendly cat.

A must stop on the Road to Hana. Magical island vibes with a covered patio to escape from the daily rains. The coconut shrimp was pounded flat and loaded with coconut breading. They were so kind to let me use their personal restroom (which is hard to find on the RTH). Be sure to bring cash so you can enjoy this delicious lunch spot.

shrimp were huge and the coconut was great BUT it did not live up to the reviews as best on the island or best on the planet… Also, it’s $30 a plate + $5 a drink, so prices beware (cash only)

What a wonderful gem! Eric made us the best coconut shrimp and fish tacos on the island. What made this place even more remarkable was his incredible kindness and generosity. He truly exemplified the aloha spirit and made our lunch so enjoyable. Million times thank you. Would recommend to anybody on their road to Hana.

A group of roadside food stands that was absolutely amazing. The coconut shrimp were huge, fries were excellent. Everything was fresh off the cooker and piping hot. I’m not sure if it’s the same outfit but the pork ribs were also amazing. Having had a lot of BBQ in the Memphis TN area, I would put these ribs near the very top of the list. They had a lot of meat on them, were juicy, and had a lot of flavor. They have Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce there if you want it, but you won’t need it. It’s a little out of the way, but if you’re on the road to Hana, make it a point to stop there. They do close early, so plan accordingly.

We stopped for lunch here on our last trip in Maui and the food never disappoints. This time I had the tiger shrimp sautéed plate. The shrimp was juicy and perfectly cooked, the garlic chili sauce was just the right amount of sweetness, savory, and a bit of heat to satisfy all of your taste buds. The jasmine rice gives it a nice balance. The coconut shrimp seems to be a fan favorite because several people ordered it while I was eating. But really anything you get here is going to be perfect and will make you wish they had one of these around the corner from wherever you live. There is a cute little shop next-door, with lots of little trinkets, some beautiful jewelry. Make sure you check it out.

Stopped in on the way back from road to Hana, for the coconut shrimp because we heard it was good. Definitely only average, was very dry. Lots of coconut which I didn't mind but it wasnt the best shrimp ever. Felt like a tourist trap. Maybe skip the shrimp and get the fish taco, which other reviews said were better.

We LOVED island chef! 10/10 for your lunch spot on the road to Hana! Probably the best fish and chips I’ve ever had.The owner was so kind, he picked the lemons off his tree in the back yard! And these bananas! How cool is that??

Wife and I went to Maui to ride the Road to Hana. Starving and the two BBQ joints we had planned to eat at were closed. Eric was open and man am I glad we stopped. We catch all our own fish and hardly ever eat fish out……very picky……..fish was freakin outstanding!! When he says it’s fresh……..it’s REAL fresh…..great batter and fried to perfection!! Enjoyed visiting with Eric and the coconut on the shrimp was local and freshly shredded. Absolutely loved it!!

We ordered the only 2 items on the menu. Coconut Shrimp and Fried Fish … they were both good. The fish was our fave, very fresh. The downside was that they over charged. I mean $25 for 4 pieces of coconut shrimp and fries … it’s a bit much.