Overview
Fred’s Mexican Cafe in Kīhei is a casual Mexican restaurant and bar with a long-running local presence on South Kihei Road. The Google record, official site, and reservation listing all align on the same business identity, address, and phone number, and the place is shown as operational. The overall picture is of a beach-town Mexican spot that leans on margaritas, burritos, tacos, and a lively but informal dining room. (fredskihei.com)
For travelers, it matters less as a “destination restaurant” and more as a dependable, busy, casual meal option in central Kīhei. It appears especially useful if you want a broad, crowd-pleasing menu, an easygoing setting, and a place that can work for lunch, dinner, or an earlier meal. The downside is that its appeal is more about atmosphere and convenience than culinary novelty. That inference is supported by the mix of menu breadth, casual positioning, and repeated comments that the food is competent but not especially ambitious. (fredskihei.com)
Cuisine & Specialties
Fred’s serves a California-Mexican / casual Mexican menu built around burritos, tacos, chimichangas, enchiladas, salads, and a fairly large margarita program. The official menu shows a range that goes beyond basics—surf-and-turf burritos, fish burritos, vegetarian burritos and tacos, and specialty margaritas with playful names. The house identity is not fine dining; it is a broad, approachable menu aimed at groups, beachgoers, and people looking for familiar Mexican-American staples. (fredskihei.com)
- Overall menu style: casual Mexican with some California-style and beach-town bar influences; strong emphasis on burritos, tacos, margaritas, and beer. (fredskihei.com)
- Notable dishes/specialties:
- Chile Verde Burritos — slow-braised pork burrito; the menu says Fred’s burritos “weigh well over 1 pound,” which signals large portions. (fredskihei.com)
- Surf & Turf Burritos — Cajun shrimp and steak burrito, another sign that the menu mixes Mexican and Southwestern/California ideas. (fredskihei.com)
- Carne Asada Burritos and Pescado Burritos — standard crowd-pleasers that suggest the kitchen covers both meat and fish options. (fredskihei.com)
- Two tacos plates — includes carne asada, grilled chicken, veggie, Cajun shrimp, and even a cheeseburger taco option. (fredskihei.com)
- Specialty margaritas — examples on the menu include Fred’s Classic, Jalapeño Rita, Horny Grandma, K.A. Rita, and Mexican Bulldog. (fredskihei.com)
- Price range / spend expectations: Google lists the place at price level 2, while OpenTable displays it in the $31–$50 band. Those two signals do not perfectly match, but both point to a midrange casual meal rather than budget-fast-casual or upscale dining. Menu item pricing on the official site also fits that middle lane, with entrees and burritos commonly in the low-to-mid teens and drinks around the low teens. (fredskihei.com)
- Dietary usefulness / limitations: there is meaningful vegetarian coverage, including black bean/guacamole burritos, veggie tacos, and veggie-friendly salads; OpenTable also explicitly says vegetarian options are available. Gluten-free support is not clearly labeled in the sources I found, so that would need direct confirmation for travelers with strict needs. (opentable.com)
Notable Features & Ambiance
The setting appears to be relaxed, lively, and very much in the casual beach-town category rather than polished or formal. Secondary sources repeatedly describe outdoor or deck seating, ocean or beach views, and a sunset-oriented experience, while the official and reservation sources frame it as casual dining. That combination suggests a place where the setting is a major part of the draw, especially at busy hours. (opentable.com)
- Service model and seating style: sit-down casual dining; OpenTable supports reservations, and the restaurant also offers takeout by phone. The review/FAQ materials describe indoor-outdoor deck seating as a notable feature. (opentable.com)
- Atmosphere and decor: funky, festive, beach-casual, with a bar-forward energy. Google’s editorial summary calls it a “funky, festive setting,” and the official site leans into a beach-day, surf-culture feel. (fredskihei.com)
- Amenities or practical features: alcohol service is clear, with a notable margarita list and beer/wine offerings. Secondary sources also mention ocean-view seating and outdoor tables, though those details come mostly through OpenTable’s generated FAQ content and traveler commentary. (opentable.com)
- Best fit: a casual lunch, early dinner, family meal, or sunset drink-and-dinner stop where atmosphere matters as much as the food. (opentable.com)
- Weaker fit: travelers seeking a quieter, more refined, chef-driven Mexican restaurant, or anyone wanting something clearly regional/authentic rather than broad and Americanized. This is an inference based on the menu breadth, the bar-centric presentation, and the mixed review tone. (fredskihei.com)
History & Background
Fred’s says it was established in 2001, with an intent to serve authentic Mexican food at a good price in a lively atmosphere, and that it later expanded to other beach-town locations. The Kīhei site is part of that broader brand rather than a one-off independent restaurant. Beyond that brand story, I did not find a richer local ownership or chef narrative specific to the Maui location in the sources reviewed. (fredskihei.com)
Review Sentiment Snapshot
What People Love
Travelers and reviewers most often like the margaritas, the casual fun atmosphere, the sunset-friendly setting, and the large portions. The vegetarian menu also gets positive mention in OpenTable’s FAQ content, and the place seems to work well for families and groups. Support for these positives is fairly strong across official and secondary sources, though some of the strongest praise is embedded in OpenTable’s generated summaries rather than only in raw user reviews. (opentable.com)
Common Gripes
The main recurring criticism is that the food can feel average or uneven relative to the setting and popularity. Maui Restaurants Blog says the restaurant aimed for fresh food and reasonable prices but now feels more expensive than it once did, with “average” food and some fish-taco criticism; that source is bluntly negative, but it is a single editorial voice rather than a broad review consensus. On balance, the downside signal looks real but mixed rather than overwhelming. (mauirestaurantsblog.com)
Practical Visitor Tips
- Current official hours on the site are Monday–Friday 8:00 am–9:00 pm and Saturday–Sunday 7:30 am–9:00 pm; the official site also breaks out breakfast and lunch/dinner kitchen windows. (fredskihei.com)
- OpenTable shows the restaurant taking reservations, and it was actively bookable during the retrieval window. (opentable.com)
- If you want a more relaxed experience, avoid the sunset rush; OpenTable’s generated FAQ says sunset hours are the busiest and weekdays/non-sunset times are quieter. Treat that as a travel-oriented inference from their reservation summary, not as a formal occupancy report. (opentable.com)
- The restaurant sits at 2511 S Kihei Rd #201 in Kīhei; that is a practical South Maui strip location rather than a stand-alone beachside destination, so plan around traffic and parking accordingly. A secondary source also notes lot and street parking. (opentable.com)
- If you care most about food quality rather than atmosphere, temper expectations: the strongest positive pattern is about the setting, margaritas, and portions, while food reviews are more mixed. (mauirestaurantsblog.com)
Verification Notes
- Official identity matches the Google Places record: Fred’s Mexican Cafe - Kihei, 2511 S Kihei Rd #201, Kihei, HI 96753, (808) 891-8600, fredskihei.com. (fredskihei.com)
- Google shows businessStatus: OPERATIONAL; no closure signal appeared in the sources reviewed. (fredskihei.com)
- Suite number #201 appears consistently in Google and OpenTable; no drift found. (fredskihei.com)
- No major verification issues found. (fredskihei.com)
Sources
- Google Places record —
https://maps.google.com/?cid=11648295274128036449— retrieved 2026-03-31 — useful for the baseline identity anchor, operational status, rating, price level, hours, and the Google editorial summary. - Official website home page —
https://fredskihei.com/— retrieved 2026-04-01 — useful for official hours, breakfast/lunch/dinner service windows, Taco Tuesday, and the restaurant’s own origin story. - Official food menu —
https://fredskihei.com/food-menu/— retrieved 2026-03-31 — useful for drink pricing, beer/wine offerings, and the general menu lane. - Official burritos menu page —
https://fredskihei.com/food-menu-category/burritos/— retrieved 2026-04-01 — useful for signature burrito styles, price points, and the large-portion cue. - Official specialty margaritas pages —
https://fredskihei.com/food-menu/k-a-rita/,https://fredskihei.com/food-menu/jalapeno-rita/,https://fredskihei.com/food-menu/horny-grandma/— retrieved 2026-04-01 — useful for confirming the margarita-centered bar program and named specialty drinks. - OpenTable listing —
https://www.opentable.com/r/freds-mexican-cafe-kihei— retrieved 2026-04-01 — useful for reservation posture, price-band signal, hours summary, and traveler-facing notes about vegetarian options, family fit, and sunset timing. Some of this is generated FAQ content, so it should be treated as supportive rather than definitive. - Maui Restaurants Blog listing —
https://mauirestaurantsblog.com/freds-mexican-cafe/— retrieved 2026-04-01 — useful for downside signals, historical price-change commentary, and practical notes like view, parking, and general sentiment. This is a single editorial source, so its criticism should be weighed as one viewpoint rather than the full consensus.
