I would call this an average experience. The atmosphere was fair, the food was good, the service was very good. The guy taking names was a bit odd. He doesn't welcome you, he looked at me, asked my name and when I made a comment he asked my name again. Not very hospitable. We had the guacamole which was good and I had fish tacos which were good. If 3.5 was an overall option, I would leave that as my rating.
Stephanie L.
Not sure why they are negative reviews. This place is great. I had a mai tai (was great), pleblano dip (more sweet than thought it would be, but still good), steak verde enchiladas and choco flan. Overall it was good and service was fast. The bar tentender was always checking on me and just so nice. When I went, it wasn't busy. The chocolate cake layer of the flan was dry but the flan layer whipped cream balanced out the dryness. If you are on the fence, just come during happy hour (4pm-5pm) and come to your own conclusion.
Jeff E.
first time I came 2 months after they opened they were good, now just went back for my fourth time and it is now completely opposite. I read some negative reviews and thought they were joking, but now I do believe them. This place has gone down hill.The food is not good, The drinks is OK, don't know what's going on but he needs to change or they unfortunately won't be around for very long
Heather A.
Holy cow... we got told to go waste some time and grab a drink.... Ordered 2 cocktails. My drink came out so clear you would think it was water. Every time we asked for things to add to the drink to make it taste okay, the bartender stated "yah, that drink is strong." We just make undrinkable drinks...... (is what I heard)...we would have skipped waiting if we trusted that it would be good...but just imagine asking for things to substitute on your drink the same way with food... also something was stated "when you come to Maui get your moneys worth"... hmmm... aka don't waste your money here.
Yuni F.
I didn't expect to like this place at all but the pork rib meat in the pozole was so satisfying!
seattlesez
Grandparents and parents with a 7 and 4 year old. Dinner time reminds us of the movie "Hurt Locker." You are trying to to defuse a bomb... very tense. The resataurant helps with coloring pages, kids menu, quick kid service. Great job. The mix of Mexican and Pizza was new to me but it works... the food is fine. Reservations available on Opentable. No need to wait in line at Monkeypod!
Theresa B.
Ugh, we wanted to like this place due to the location. Terrible drinks! They botched up a pina colada; way too sweet & sour and then I ordered a Moscow mule & it was terrible; tasted rancid. How can you mess up vodka & ginger beer??? Unfortunately, the salsa sucked too... we grabbed our check & decided we didn't want to gamble with the food. Maui needs an authentic Mexican restaurant ASAP!!!!
Delia V.
Very tasty! The pozole soup was sooooo good. Generous portion and very satisfying. Short rib Tacos were quite rich but very flavorful. Great kids menu. Pizza crust was really thin and crispy. Enchiladas were well seasoned, delicious tomatillo salsa. Very friendly service.
Mike C.
This place was great. Real hidden gem. Met the chef that put together the menu and she was fantastic. From Jalisco MX. she told us these where family recipes. Keep up the good work. We went to all the "other" expensive restaurants in the area and this one is a sleeper. Very reasonable prices and we really enjoyed the environment. It was a really great casual wedding anniversary dinner. Glad we visited. Will def go back when in Maui
Monique I.
La Catrina does not disappoint! The hubby and I go here for the happy hour and margaritas! The ceviche and enchiladas are amazing! You can't go wrong here! It's a great atmosphere and wonderful wait staff!
What a sleeper. Found a table for 7 on a busy Friday night. This Mexican "Cafe" with an Italian influence is attractive option to Wailea from the former Fabiani's Italian concept with reasonable and humble price points. The friendly young limited staff is trying to accommodate sometimes difficult tourist expectations. Drinks were quick, and generous with quality ingredients and spirits. The menu was out of the ordinary and offered some awesome tastes. Tempura-fried Cauliflower "Wings", a hit with a Mango Habanero sauce could have used a bit more seasoning, but was delicate and crisp. Nachos was ample and guacamole was good. I think it had a hint of cucumber. Almond Cream on Mahi was tasty, sweet and unusual. The Mole and Green Enchiladas were excellent and generous entrees with cheese, homemade black beans and rice. 3 crisp Birria Tacos stuffed with shredded beef short rib and an adobo sauce was great too! We tried all desserts. Standouts were Fresh Corn Elote Cake, ChocoFlan, and Sweet Fried Churros. Going back for stuffed Bacon Shrimp, Pozole, and Chorizo Pizza. If you're searching for Michelin-starred Tex-Mex, Chipotle or Chevys look elsewhere. A great respite from $50 entrees with minuscule portions, 3 week reservations and overpriced drinks looking out toward an expensive Maui sunset. Limited parking.
Brian D.
We made reservations at this spot because they offered outside seating, (a must for me while in Maui), and it was close to the place we were staying at. When we arrived, the outside seating consisted of a few tables in front of the restaurant, which is located in a mini-mall. They had one outside table left that was literally in the parking lot! We were met with horrible lighting and a dirty table. They were semi busy. The server was sweet but seemed a little timid/green. Everything we asked was met with uncertainty. Not very comforting, especially while sitting in the said parking lot. All of this could have been funny and memorable in a quirky way, if the food had been good. Everything was a disaster. The food wasn't good. We abandoned our drinks after about 1/4 way through them. I can't understand the rave reviews of this place. Things we ordered: La Catrina's Mai-Tai $13 Sickening sweet with little or no alcohol flavor. I asked the server about upping the rum, but she didn't take my drink away, and was unsure of what to do (a deer in the headlights reaction). I took it up to the bar and asked them to add some rum. The barkeep gave me attitude, but obliged me. I was super letdown that even after that it was undrinkable. Also had a virgin pina colada. Drank about half, as it was painfully sweet. CHIPS & GUACAMOLE $10 This was the best thing we ate. CAULIFLOWER WINGS $13 with Mango Habanero Sauce Basic and bland tempura battered cauliflower. The dipping sauce was the only thing that had a bit of spice. VEGAN ENCHILADAS $22Roasted Potato and Sauteed Mushroom Enchiladas with Coconut Carrot Sauce Topped with Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion, Grilled Corn, and Salsa We split this. This was just too sweet. I didn't taste anything but bland sweetness. I couldn't have more than a few bites. I left hungry and dissatisfied. Yet again, we seemed to be the minority (sitting in the parking lot) most of the other patrons appeared to be enjoying their food. We left disappointed and hungry. Thank goodness we had snacks and vino at home. Mahalo!
Jodie D.
What a gem! Was her for work for the night and decided to try it out. Great people working, from the bartender, busser, and the owner we're all wonderful! Had the stuffed shrimp yum and then the almond Maui Maui...unbelievable! Will definitely go back.
Ryan L.
Owner greeted us at the door, drinks were SPECTACULAR. I got the Caliente Y Fria, loved it! Just seemed like great food with a friendly atmosphere.
House H.
We are pretty darn happy they kept the wood fired pizzas from when it was Fabiano's! The veggie greens is our fav, although we miss adding eggplant. The decor is very festive. We honestly haven't tried the Mexican food yet, bec this is the only place we can find that awesome thin crust pizza! We're local so we've eaten at all the pizza places. We also had the house field Kula salad, also excellent. Don't look at the old Italian menus, those are from when it was Fabiano's.
I would call this an average experience. The atmosphere was fair, the food was good, the service was very good. The guy taking names was a bit odd. He doesn't welcome you, he looked at me, asked my name and when I made a comment he asked my name again. Not very hospitable. We had the guacamole which was good and I had fish tacos which were good. If 3.5 was an overall option, I would leave that as my rating.
Not sure why they are negative reviews. This place is great. I had a mai tai (was great), pleblano dip (more sweet than thought it would be, but still good), steak verde enchiladas and choco flan. Overall it was good and service was fast. The bar tentender was always checking on me and just so nice. When I went, it wasn't busy. The chocolate cake layer of the flan was dry but the flan layer whipped cream balanced out the dryness. If you are on the fence, just come during happy hour (4pm-5pm) and come to your own conclusion.
first time I came 2 months after they opened they were good, now just went back for my fourth time and it is now completely opposite. I read some negative reviews and thought they were joking, but now I do believe them. This place has gone down hill.The food is not good, The drinks is OK, don't know what's going on but he needs to change or they unfortunately won't be around for very long
Holy cow... we got told to go waste some time and grab a drink.... Ordered 2 cocktails. My drink came out so clear you would think it was water. Every time we asked for things to add to the drink to make it taste okay, the bartender stated "yah, that drink is strong." We just make undrinkable drinks...... (is what I heard)...we would have skipped waiting if we trusted that it would be good...but just imagine asking for things to substitute on your drink the same way with food... also something was stated "when you come to Maui get your moneys worth"... hmmm... aka don't waste your money here.
I didn't expect to like this place at all but the pork rib meat in the pozole was so satisfying!
Grandparents and parents with a 7 and 4 year old. Dinner time reminds us of the movie "Hurt Locker." You are trying to to defuse a bomb... very tense. The resataurant helps with coloring pages, kids menu, quick kid service. Great job. The mix of Mexican and Pizza was new to me but it works... the food is fine. Reservations available on Opentable. No need to wait in line at Monkeypod!
Ugh, we wanted to like this place due to the location. Terrible drinks! They botched up a pina colada; way too sweet & sour and then I ordered a Moscow mule & it was terrible; tasted rancid. How can you mess up vodka & ginger beer??? Unfortunately, the salsa sucked too... we grabbed our check & decided we didn't want to gamble with the food. Maui needs an authentic Mexican restaurant ASAP!!!!
Very tasty! The pozole soup was sooooo good. Generous portion and very satisfying. Short rib Tacos were quite rich but very flavorful. Great kids menu. Pizza crust was really thin and crispy. Enchiladas were well seasoned, delicious tomatillo salsa. Very friendly service.
This place was great. Real hidden gem. Met the chef that put together the menu and she was fantastic. From Jalisco MX. she told us these where family recipes. Keep up the good work. We went to all the "other" expensive restaurants in the area and this one is a sleeper. Very reasonable prices and we really enjoyed the environment. It was a really great casual wedding anniversary dinner. Glad we visited. Will def go back when in Maui
La Catrina does not disappoint! The hubby and I go here for the happy hour and margaritas! The ceviche and enchiladas are amazing! You can't go wrong here! It's a great atmosphere and wonderful wait staff!
Restaurantji Recommends
What a sleeper. Found a table for 7 on a busy Friday night. This Mexican "Cafe" with an Italian influence is attractive option to Wailea from the former Fabiani's Italian concept with reasonable and humble price points. The friendly young limited staff is trying to accommodate sometimes difficult tourist expectations. Drinks were quick, and generous with quality ingredients and spirits. The menu was out of the ordinary and offered some awesome tastes. Tempura-fried Cauliflower "Wings", a hit with a Mango Habanero sauce could have used a bit more seasoning, but was delicate and crisp. Nachos was ample and guacamole was good. I think it had a hint of cucumber. Almond Cream on Mahi was tasty, sweet and unusual. The Mole and Green Enchiladas were excellent and generous entrees with cheese, homemade black beans and rice. 3 crisp Birria Tacos stuffed with shredded beef short rib and an adobo sauce was great too! We tried all desserts. Standouts were Fresh Corn Elote Cake, ChocoFlan, and Sweet Fried Churros. Going back for stuffed Bacon Shrimp, Pozole, and Chorizo Pizza. If you're searching for Michelin-starred Tex-Mex, Chipotle or Chevys look elsewhere. A great respite from $50 entrees with minuscule portions, 3 week reservations and overpriced drinks looking out toward an expensive Maui sunset. Limited parking.
We made reservations at this spot because they offered outside seating, (a must for me while in Maui), and it was close to the place we were staying at. When we arrived, the outside seating consisted of a few tables in front of the restaurant, which is located in a mini-mall. They had one outside table left that was literally in the parking lot! We were met with horrible lighting and a dirty table. They were semi busy. The server was sweet but seemed a little timid/green. Everything we asked was met with uncertainty. Not very comforting, especially while sitting in the said parking lot. All of this could have been funny and memorable in a quirky way, if the food had been good. Everything was a disaster. The food wasn't good. We abandoned our drinks after about 1/4 way through them. I can't understand the rave reviews of this place. Things we ordered: La Catrina's Mai-Tai $13 Sickening sweet with little or no alcohol flavor. I asked the server about upping the rum, but she didn't take my drink away, and was unsure of what to do (a deer in the headlights reaction). I took it up to the bar and asked them to add some rum. The barkeep gave me attitude, but obliged me. I was super letdown that even after that it was undrinkable. Also had a virgin pina colada. Drank about half, as it was painfully sweet. CHIPS & GUACAMOLE $10 This was the best thing we ate. CAULIFLOWER WINGS $13 with Mango Habanero Sauce Basic and bland tempura battered cauliflower. The dipping sauce was the only thing that had a bit of spice. VEGAN ENCHILADAS $22Roasted Potato and Sauteed Mushroom Enchiladas with Coconut Carrot Sauce Topped with Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion, Grilled Corn, and Salsa We split this. This was just too sweet. I didn't taste anything but bland sweetness. I couldn't have more than a few bites. I left hungry and dissatisfied. Yet again, we seemed to be the minority (sitting in the parking lot) most of the other patrons appeared to be enjoying their food. We left disappointed and hungry. Thank goodness we had snacks and vino at home. Mahalo!
What a gem! Was her for work for the night and decided to try it out. Great people working, from the bartender, busser, and the owner we're all wonderful! Had the stuffed shrimp yum and then the almond Maui Maui...unbelievable! Will definitely go back.
Owner greeted us at the door, drinks were SPECTACULAR. I got the Caliente Y Fria, loved it! Just seemed like great food with a friendly atmosphere.
We are pretty darn happy they kept the wood fired pizzas from when it was Fabiano's! The veggie greens is our fav, although we miss adding eggplant. The decor is very festive. We honestly haven't tried the Mexican food yet, bec this is the only place we can find that awesome thin crust pizza! We're local so we've eaten at all the pizza places. We also had the house field Kula salad, also excellent. Don't look at the old Italian menus, those are from when it was Fabiano's.