More Front Street eats! The plan was to go to Star Noodle. No seats available… Sal and Pepe? Nope. I was about to give up and head back to Paia, but little bro pointed out Down the Hatch. I initially dismissed it as a bar, but looks are deceiving. A quick search turned up a litany of rave reviews. Down the hatch it was!
Down the Hatch
Down the Hatch is an award winning Front Street staple. It was founded by three Georgia (the state, not the country) natives who wanted to serve great food to locals and tourists alike. Since opening, they’re won award after award including being voted Best Bar in Maui, Best Restaurant Poke and Best Late Night Dining. They were also feautred on Season 27 episode 2 of Diner’s Drivers and Dives. If it’s good enough for Guy Fieri, it’s good enough for me 😉
Food
The menu at Down the Hatch is short, but a truly eclectic combination of southern and traditional Hawaiian, we had to be choose wisely.
We got started with the poke special of the month- ahi with sweet shoyu and sesame oil over crispy wontons.
It was damn good poke. The ahi was cut in thick chunks and each piece got a good coating of the fragrant sauce. The sauce itself had a good balance between sugar, salt and umami that worked perfectly with the meaty ahi.
For mains, little bro and I had to pick the cantina pig plate- Kalua pork with cabbage served with rice and salad.
The pork takes the podium of the best thing I’ve had this entire trip. It was so incredibly succulent and flavourful. The meat retained a good chew and the cabbage added a much needed crunch to break the fat. I could have had 3 portions.
Mum and dad stuck with fish and ordered the Captain’s catch- grilled mahi mahi.
The fish was very fresh and perfectly cooked, but it was quite bland. More pork please!
Service and atmosphere
The atmosphere at Down the hatch was the best part of the experience. It has a lively, casual hangout vibe. Customers order at a counter and take seats in an open courtyard. We arrived just during dinner rush, but the wait was surprisingly short despite the long line. We also didn’t wait too long for the food. I was a happy diner. There is also a rolling list of live music, so enjoy!
Overall impression
Overall, I really enjoyed down the hatch. It definitely deserves its place on diners drive ins and dives. Next time, I’d love to try the whole fried fish and of course, get another portion of pork. If I drank, the bar would make a for a fun night. I’d also love to come and hang out for brunch. Maybe next time!
The Red-braised Twinkie 