Overview
Da Shrimp Hale is a casual seafood spot in Kahului that centers on shell-on shrimp and other seafood boiled or steamed with Cajun-style seasoning, then served in bagged portions with gloves and bibs. For a traveler, the draw is a hands-on, messy, seafood-heavy meal that feels more like a fun stop than a formal dinner.
The restaurant’s Google listing shows it as operational at 70 E Kaahumanu Ave with the same phone number you provided, and the broader review record matches that location. There is a little identity drift in third-party directories about branding and data freshness, but not enough to suggest this is the wrong place. (restaurantji.com)
Cuisine & Specialties
This is a shellfish-first seafood restaurant, not a broad Hawaiian restaurant. The core experience is choosing seafood, flavoring, and spice level, then getting it steamed and delivered in a bag for communal eating. The most consistent themes across sources are shrimp, clams, mussels, crab legs, oysters, calamari, and fried seafood baskets. (mauinow.com)
- Overall menu style: seafood boils and fried seafood baskets, with Cajun-style seasoning influences and some island-influenced desserts and specials. (mauinow.com)
- Notable specialties: shrimp, mussels, clams, local crawfish, Kumamoto oysters, Kona dungeness crab, Kona lobster, snow crab legs, king crab legs, whole lobster, fried catfish, fried calamari, garlic shrimp, and combo bags. (mauinow.com)
- Desserts / non-seafood items: ube cheesecake, ube cheesecake lumpia, fried ice cream, halo-halo, and cheesecake show up in secondary menu/review sources and expansion coverage. (mauinow.com)
- Drinks: beer and wine are mentioned in the West Maui expansion coverage, and third-party review summaries mention beer, wine, and juice. (mauinow.com)
- Price range: expect a moderate spend rather than a cheap plate lunch stop. Secondary sources cluster around roughly $20–30 per person, with some diners reporting lower or higher depending on seafood choice. Market-price seafood means the bill can move around. (restaurantguru.com)
- Dietary usefulness / limits: there is some vegetarian labeling on one directory, but the place is fundamentally seafood-centered. It is a poor fit for travelers avoiding shellfish, and menu breadth for non-seafood diners appears limited. (restaurantji.com)
Notable Features & Ambiance
The experience is casual and tactile: diners get seafood in bags, use gloves, and eat in a relaxed mall-location setting. Review sources repeatedly frame it as friendly, family-oriented, and informal rather than polished or destination-fine-dining. (mauinow.com)
- Service model and seating: dine-in plus takeout/delivery are listed by directories; seating appears casual, with indoor and outdoor seating mentioned in third-party sources. (restaurantji.com)
- Atmosphere and decor: casual, family-friendly, and a little playful; Google’s editorial summary specifically mentions a graffiti wall, and reviews mention bibs, gloves, and bagged service as part of the fun. (restaurantguru.com)
- Practical features: wheelchair access and parking are mentioned in third-party review summaries; it is located in the Maui Mall/Maui Mall area, which is convenient but not scenic in the way an oceanfront restaurant would be. (restaurantji.com)
- Best fit: a casual lunch or dinner for seafood lovers, especially groups that want a shared, hands-on meal. (restaurantji.com)
- Weaker fit: travelers looking for quiet ambience, broad menu variety, or a refined sit-down experience will likely be less satisfied. That is an inference from the service style and review patterns rather than a direct complaint. (mauinow.com)
History & Background
Da Shrimp Hale appears to be a family-run Maui business founded by siblings Heidi, Heizel, and Han Allado, with family members working daily in the restaurant. Maui Now reported that the original Kahului location opened on August 15, 2016, and that a West Maui expansion in 2020 was the brand’s first expansion. (mauinow.com)
Review Sentiment Snapshot
What People Love
Reviews and directory summaries consistently praise the friendly staff, generous seafood portions, and the novelty of eating shell-on seafood in a bag. Repeated favorites include garlic shrimp, beer-battered shrimp, calamari, catfish, crab legs, and combo bags. The place also gets credit for being fun, casual, and good for families. (restaurantji.com)
Common Gripes
The downside signals are mixed but worth noting. A few reviews mention inconsistency, including food that was over- or undercooked, service attitude problems, or the restaurant feeling overpriced for the quality on a given visit. Those complaints do appear, but they are not dominant relative to the generally positive rating profile, so they should be treated as real but not overwhelming. (restaurantji.com)
Practical Visitor Tips
- Hours: Google’s hours show Mon, Tue, Thu 11:00 AM–8:00 PM; Fri/Sat 11:00 AM–9:00 PM; Sun 11:00 AM–4:00 PM; closed Wednesday. Third-party directories match this pattern, so Wednesday is the clearest avoid day. (restaurantji.com)
- Best time to go: lunch or early dinner is the safest bet if you want a calmer visit; this is an inference based on casual mall-location dining and the family/dinner-lunch emphasis in reviews. (restaurantji.com)
- Reservations: no strong reservation posture is visible in the sources; it reads more like a walk-in-friendly casual restaurant. (restaurantji.com)
- Ordering tip: if you want the full experience, order one of the seafood boil bags or combo plates with gloves/bibs; several sources frame this as the signature move. (mauinow.com)
- Budgeting tip: seafood priced at market rate can push the total higher than expected, especially for crab or lobster. (mauinow.com)
- Access/location: it sits at 70 E Kaahumanu Ave in the Maui Mall/Kahului shopping area, which makes it easy to pair with errands or a shopping stop. (mauinow.com)
Verification Notes
- Officially listed name/address/phone from Google Places match the candidate: Da Shrimp Hale, 70 E Kaahumanu Ave, Kahului, HI 96732, (808) 868-2361. (restaurantji.com)
- Business status is OPERATIONAL in the Google record. (restaurantji.com)
- No website was present in the Google record or candidate facts. Third-party directories mention a site/domain, but it was not treated as a confirmed official source. (restaurantji.com)
- No major verification issues found. (restaurantji.com)
Sources
- Google Places / Google Maps listing for Da Shrimp Hale —
https://maps.google.com/?cid=4455413658493696600— Retrieved 2026-03-31. Most useful for identity anchor, address, phone, business status, hours, rating, and Google editorial summary. - Maui Now, “A Hands-on Experience at Da Shrimp Hale” — URL unavailable from the source payload; Maui Now article opened from search result
turn0search3— Retrieved 2026-04-01. Best for founding story, original opening date, family ownership, and core menu concept. - Maui Now, “Lahaina Gateway Welcomes New Restaurant, Da Shrimp Hale West” — URL unavailable from the source payload; Maui Now article opened from search result
turn0search2— Retrieved 2026-04-01. Best for expansion history, BYOB note, dessert items, and the shell-on seafood concept. - Restaurantji page for Da Shrimp Hale —
https://www.restaurantji.com/hi/kahului/da-shrimp-hale-/— Retrieved 2026-04-01. Useful for traveler-facing summary, hours cross-check, price band, accessibility notes, and a few review-pattern signals. - Restaurant Guru page for Da Shrimp Hale —
https://restaurantguru.com/Da-Shrimp-Hale-Kahului— Retrieved 2026-04-01. Useful for recurring menu mentions, review patterns, price band, and the bagged/gloves service description.
