Lahaina Coolers

Chillin’ out for Halloween, a November wine dinner, comfort food Sundays and Mexican Mondays, too

Where is the best spot to chill in Lahaina  on Halloween? Why Lahaina Coolers, of course.

Tucked away on Dickenson Street away from the hustle and bustle of Front Street, Lahaina Coolers has been a fun hangout for decades with locals and tourists who are savvy enough to find it.

Just look for the record-holding blue-striped marlin hung from the ceiling that weighs in at 955 pounds as well as the sea of colorful paper lanterns outside.

My old neighbor Rick Medenwald was the captain when the behemouth was hooked up by a wahine in 1990 and the record for it hasn't been broken since.

"Sure, we're a bit off the beaten path, but we do get busy on Halloween," says Sean Stover, general manager. "We actually have to have a doorman."

"They have a Halloween parade on Front Street after school," says owner Cruz Ortiz. "People like to come in here both before and after the parade."

The casual, open-air restaurant famous for  Evil Jungle pizza and spicy Azteca shrimp with bacon over a bed of linguine in chipotle wine-butter sauce is less expensive than many of the more upscale counterparts in the historic town.

It's also a haven for its fun bar scene and late-night cuisine, although it's open for breakfast, lunch, three happy hours, dinner and to-go meals.

"For late-night, we get everybody from Front Street getting off their shifts at other restaurants," says Ortiz, who bought into a partnership with "local boy" Neil Hirata at Lahaina Coolers 11 years ago.

"We open at 8 a.m., and serve food until midnight and cocktails until closing," adds Oritz, who worked for the Department of Health in Napa Valley, Calif., where she "went from don't drink the wine to now I'm pushing it."

Speaking of wine, Lahaina Coolers flows with a popular monthly wine dinner and the next one is coming up.

"We've been doing wine dinners for six years now and our next one will be held on Nov. 4," says Ortiz. "Our general manager Sean also does the cooking in the kitchen for these special meals."

Begin with a Ferrari Carano fume blanc from Sonoma, Calif., paired with arugula and fried goat cheese salad drizzled in fig vinaigrette.

For the next course, sip Wente Vineyards merlot from Livermore Valley, Calif., as you savor scallops Rockefeller over baguette. Then step up to a bold and rich Backbone cabernet sauvignon from Motto, paired with a nice filet mignon with a blue-crab crust and served with a green peppercorn and sherry cream sauce. Cost is $60 per person for the wine and feast. By Lahaina standards, this is a great deal, indeed.

"Daytime, all of the baseball and football and college games are on," says Stover, who is a self-proclaimed college football fan. "All of the networks are on the three TVs. We are not a huge sports bar, per se, but we do like to have fun in here."

Fun is to be had, for sure, during the many happy hours at the popular hang out.

"We have many happy hours," Stover says. "The first is from 3 to 6 p.m., the late one is from 10 p.m. to midnight. We also have martini hour from 8 to 10 p.m. nightly.  The regular happy hours offer $3 well drinks and $3 Bud and Bud Light on tap and other domestic bottles. Bartender Craig Story has been here for decades and he keeps the place lively."

As for the food, "Everything is made fresh in house, even the truffle butter for the bread," says Stover. "We start the day with popular breakfast specialties of corned beef and hash, awesome huevos rancheros, fried rice plate with Canadian bacon, Portuguese sausage and veggies sauteed with sesame and soy."

Breakfast is served from 8 to 11 a.m. most days, except Sundays, when it goes all the way until 1 p.m. That day only, lunch kicks in at 1 p.m. as well.

Sunday is also known as Comfort Food Day as down-home dinners are served for just $16 a plate.

"We've got meat loaf, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken fried steak and chicken and waffles with gravy," Stover says. "Food that is homey and good."

Mexican Monday is another dinner promo that starts at 5 p.m. Tecates and Coronas are $3.50 and margaritas are $4.

"You've got to try the 'Beso Calientes,' or 'hot kisses,' of jalapenos stuffed with shrimp and cheese," says Ortiz. "They're wrapped in bacon and come with ranch dip and our homemade hot sauce. We make it, bottle it and ship it."

So come to Lahaina Coolers -- early, late, for wine, whatever!