Mala Ocean Tavern Blog
Día de los Muertos Halloween Party at Mala Ocean Tavern
Celebrate Halloween at Mala Ocean Tavern with a Día de los Muertos party featuring DJ Skinnie, late-night food, festive vibes, and a night celebrating life.
Saturday, October 31st
10 PM – 1:30 AM
Food served until midnight
$18 presale | $25 at the door
Sounds by DJ Skinnie a.k.a. DJ Flaco
This Halloween, Mala Ocean Tavern invites you to celebrate Día de los Muertos with an unforgettable night honoring tradition, celebrating life, and bringing plenty of island-style energy to Lahaina. On Saturday, October 31st, join us for Día de los Muertos: A Night to Celebrate Life. The celebration runs from 10 PM to 1:30 AM, giving you plenty of time to dress up, gather with friends, and enjoy Halloween night at MALA.
The evening will feature sounds by DJ Skinnie, a.k.a. DJ Flaco, bringing the music and energy throughout the night. Guests are encouraged to dress to impress, honor the tradition, and bring the vibez. Inspired by the colorful traditions of Día de los Muertos, the evening offers a festive way to come together and celebrate life while enjoying the Halloween spirit. Hungry? Food will be served until midnight, so you can enjoy a bite before the night gets into full swing.
Tickets are available for $18 presale or $25 at the door. With limited-time presale pricing and a late-night celebration, it's a great opportunity to make plans early and get your crew together for Halloween.
Located in Lahaina, Mala Ocean Tavern is known for its oceanfront setting, local flavors, and laid-back Maui atmosphere. This Halloween, we're turning up the energy for a special evening filled with music, tradition, food, and celebration.
So grab your costume, invite your friends, and get ready for a Halloween night to remember.
Nominate MALA for Best of Maui 2026
Nominate MALA for Best of Maui 2026 in the Dining Experience and Food & Drink categories. Help celebrate our oceanfront dining, fresh food, cocktails, and team.
The search for Maui’s favorites is officially underway, and we’d be honored to have your support!
Best of Maui 2026, hosted by The Maui News, is an opportunity for the community to recognize the local businesses and people who make Maui such a special place. From longtime local favorites to hidden gems, nominations are a chance to celebrate the restaurants, businesses, and individuals who help make our island community unique. This year, MALA is proud to be included in the Dining Experience and Food & Drink categories, and we’d love for you to consider nominating us!
At MALA, we believe a great dining experience is about more than what’s on the plate. It’s about enjoying fresh, flavorful food while taking in the ocean, watching the waves roll in, spotting honu offshore, sharing a cocktail with friends, and creating memories around the table. Whether you’ve joined us for brunch, live music happy hour, or dinner, we’re grateful to have been part of your time on Maui.
Our team works every day to create the kind of experience that keeps guests coming back - from our kitchen and bar to the hosts, servers, and everyone behind the scenes who helps make each visit special. Being part of these categories is an honor, and your nomination would mean so much to our entire MALA team. Nominations are open through September 18th, 2026.
If MALA has been one of your favorite places to dine on Maui, take a moment to share some aloha and nominate us in the Dining Experience and Food & Drink categories for Best of Maui 2026. Mahalo for supporting MALA, our team, and our Lahaina community. We’re grateful for every visit, every shared meal, and every memory you’ve made with us. Your support continues to inspire us to do what we love and serve our community with aloha.
Mala Ocean Tavern Featured in Orange County Register’s Look at Maui’s Recovery
Mala Ocean Tavern is featured in the Orange County Register’s look at Maui three years after the Lahaina wildfires, highlighting Lahaina’s continued recovery, MALA’s oceanfront dining experience, and the planned reopening of beloved local restaurant Down the Hatch.
Three years after the devastating Lahaina wildfires, Maui continues to rebuild, welcome visitors, and demonstrate the resilience of its people and communities. A recent feature in the Orange County Register, “Travel: What’s new and improved on Maui 3 years after tragedy,” takes a look at the island’s ongoing recovery and the businesses helping shape Maui’s future, including Mala Ocean Tavern.
For MALA, being included in a story about Maui’s continued recovery is especially meaningful. Located oceanfront along Front Street in Lahaina, Mala Ocean Tavern has long been a gathering place for locals and visitors, offering fresh island-inspired cuisine, creative cocktails, live music, and beautiful views of the Pacific.
The article also looks ahead to the planned reopening of Down the Hatch, another beloved Lahaina restaurant within the Hana Hou Hospitality family. While Down the Hatch is not yet open, plans for its return, at a new location in Ka’anapali are an exciting part of Lahaina’s ongoing revitalization. The eventual reopening will mark another important step forward for the local dining community and a return of a familiar gathering place for both residents and visitors. The article reads, “The restaurants’ parent company isn’t close to being done with its own rebuilding effort. After losing the popular Down the Hatch to the 2023 fire, Hana Hou Hospitality plans to revive the seafood concept in February, this time in Kaanapali. The team is taking over the former Paradise Grill, and expects to bring back such signature favorites as the lobster and crab stuffed grilled cheese, lava lava shrimp, and poke special of the month.”
The continued presence of MALA and the plans to bring Down the Hatch back to Lahaina reflect the determination of local businesses to rebuild and look toward the future while honoring the community’s history. Restaurants are more than places to enjoy a meal - they are gathering places where people connect, memories are made, and communities come together.
For travelers returning to Maui, visiting Lahaina can be a meaningful way to support local businesses while experiencing the beauty, culture, and aloha that make West Maui so special. A meal at Mala Ocean Tavern offers guests the chance to enjoy the oceanfront setting and vibrant dining experience that have become part of Lahaina’s story.
Mala Ocean Tavern is honored to be included in the Orange County Register’s look at Maui three years after the tragedy. We are grateful to our guests, our team, and the Lahaina community as we continue moving forward together, and we look forward to welcoming visitors back to experience the spirit of Lahaina.
Hana Hou Hospitality Honored with 2026 Hawaiʻi Excellence in Business Award
Hana Hou Hospitality has been recognized as a 2026 Hawaiʻi Excellence in Business Award honoree by Hawaii Business Magazine, celebrating its commitment to exceptional hospitality, community impact, workplace culture, and business excellence across Mala Ocean Tavern, Coco Deck Lahaina, Pineapple Robot, and Pizza Paradiso.
Hana Hou Hospitality is proud to announce that we have been selected as a 2026 Hawaiʻi Excellence in Business Award honoree by Hawaii Business Magazine, recognizing organizations across the state that demonstrate outstanding business performance, exceptional workplace culture, innovation, and a meaningful commitment to serving Hawaiʻi's communities.
Presented annually by Hawaii Business Magazine, the Hawaiʻi Excellence in Business Awards celebrate companies that go beyond financial success. Honorees are selected for their ability to foster positive workplace environments, invest in their employees, embrace innovation, support diversity and inclusion, and create a lasting impact in the communities they serve. Businesses of all sizes and industries are evaluated on criteria including profitability, employee engagement, sustainability, and community involvement.
For Hana Hou Hospitality, this recognition reflects the dedication of our entire team across Mala Ocean Tavern, Coco Deck Lahaina, Pineapple Robot, and Pizza Paradiso. Every day, our staff works to create memorable experiences for our guests while supporting the Maui community through local partnerships, charitable initiatives, and a commitment to authentic hospitality.
Since reopening and growing in the years following the Lahaina wildfires, our mission has remained unchanged: to serve exceptional food, welcome every guest with genuine aloha, and contribute to the ongoing strength and resilience of West Maui. Whether it's through our Hana Hou Round Up Program, supporting local nonprofits, sourcing from Hawaiʻi businesses whenever possible, or creating opportunities for our team members to grow, we're honored that these efforts have been recognized.
This honor belongs to our incredible employees, loyal guests, community partners, and everyone who has supported Hana Hou Hospitality along the way. Mahalo for being part of our journey - we're grateful to continue serving Maui and helping our community thrive together.
Mala Ocean Tavern's Round Up Program: Small Change, Lasting Impact
Discover how Māla Ocean Tavern's Round Up Program supports local Maui nonprofits throughout the year. By simply rounding up your check, you help fund organizations dedicated to environmental stewardship, historic preservation, community recovery, youth education, and cultural initiatives across Lahaina and Maui. Learn about our quarterly nonprofit partners and how every meal can make a meaningful difference in the community.
At Mala Ocean Tavern, we believe that being part of the Lahaina community means giving back whenever we can. That's why we created our Round Up Program; a simple way for every guest to help support the people, places, and organizations that make Maui so special.
When you dine with us, you'll have the option to round your check up to the nearest dollar. While it may seem like a small contribution, those dollars quickly add up to provide meaningful support for local nonprofit organizations working to strengthen our community, care for our environment, preserve Lahaina's history, and invest in future generations.
Each quarter, Hana Hou Hospitality (Mala Ocean Tavern, Coco Deck Lahaina, Pineapple Robot, & Pizza Paradiso) selects a different nonprofit partner, allowing us to support a variety of important causes throughout the year. Every organization is carefully chosen because of its commitment to making a lasting impact on Maui.
Throughout the year, Mala Ocean Tavern is proud to partner with local nonprofit organizations that are creating lasting change across Maui. In 2026, our Round Up Program supports the Lahaina Community Land Trust, helping keep Lahaina lands in Lahaina hands through community ownership and long-term recovery efforts; Kahakukahi Ocean Academy (K.O.A.), which empowers Maui's youth through ocean education, environmental stewardship, and mentorship; and the Lahaina Restoration Foundation, dedicated to preserving Lahaina's historic landmarks, cultural heritage, and sense of place for future generations. By rotating our nonprofit partners throughout the year, we're able to support a variety of causes that strengthen our community and help ensure Maui continues to thrive for generations to come.
Looking ahead, our 2027 Q1 Round Up partner will be the Lahaina Jodo Mission, another cherished organization that plays an important role in preserving Lahaina's cultural heritage.
The Round Up Program allows every guest to participate in giving back, no matter how small the contribution. As a locally owned restaurant, we're incredibly grateful for the support we've received over the years. This program is one way we can pay that generosity forward. Every meal shared at MALA has the opportunity to create an impact beyond our restaurant, helping preserve what makes Maui such a special place to call home.
Mahalo for dining with us, supporting local nonprofits, and helping us make a difference - one meal at a time.