Eat like a pirate with food created and prepared by descendants of Blackbeard the Pirate.
I admit it, I’m a sucker for food trucks. They are hidden gems of culinary delights. If you ever stumble upon one on your travels or even in your own neighborhood, I highly recommend you make the stop. It’s mouthwatering food without having the formality of a sit-down restaurant. We made one such discovery while walking around Whaler’s Village on Kaanapali Beach.
The first time we tried to pick up food from the food truck situated at Whalers’s Village, the line was long and it was clear everyone wanted the food at Da Nani Pirates. They serve everything from salads to sliders to tacos to wraps to plate lunches. They’ve got a little something for everyone. They even have something for the keikis in your life.
Real Descendants of Blackbeard the Pirate find their treasure is in their food. If you’ve been following me for some time you know that I’m all about the tacos. But Da Nani Pirates is so popular, they ran out of tacos by the time we made our way back to the permanent food truck the next day. We had even opted to go before the crowds started and were thwarted by the like-minded people who also had a craving for tacos.
Pro-tip: If you want a chance of getting your choice of food at Da Nani Pirates go early! Go in the early afternoon before the dinner crowd overtakes Whaler’s Village. Things get gnarly from 5:30 to 8pm and they are hustling to feed the hungry horde that circles the truck like sharks. I don’t blame them, the food is that good! Things slow down at 8pm and you’ve got a half-hour before they close up shop for the night. Definitely give it a try if you are in the area.
Succulent. Savory. Savage.—Da Nani Pirates
According to the “About Us” section of their website, the founders of Da Nani Pirates got their start by entering a BBQ competition in 2007 of what they thought was a small local competition. Imagine their surprise when they realized they were competing against professional BBQ chefs all across the United States in a national 3-day competition! Not only that, they WON! That was just the beginning. Now, they provide not only food for the food truck Da Nani Pirates, but also for their Maui Thai restaurant, food truck, and catering business for Aloha Thai Fusion.
My husband and I decided to go again when it wasn’t so busy. Good thing for us, there was a much shorter line earlier in the day. The bad thing is that they were already out of my favorite food: tacos. But this allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and try their sliders.
My husband opted for the fresh fish sliders on guava buns and accompanied by pineapple slaw and fries. He could not stop telling me how much he loves his meal. I had the beer-battered fish sliders topped with slaw and a guava bun. I’ve never had a guava bun before. It was a pale pink yummy bun.
The food was filling and hit the spot. We watched the sun go down on Kaanapali beach as we enjoyed our culinary feast of fish sliders.
What better place to eat like a pirate than Whaler’s Village on Kaanapali Beach? Do yourself a favor and eat like a pirate at Da Nani Pirates.
Do you have a favorite food truck? Where else should we try Maui food truck cuisine? Let me know your favorite place in the comments!