Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman

amazing service and knowledge of CC and celiac! i have never had such incredible service at a restaurant. our server gave specific GF recommendations and let me know that their kitchen is specifically set up for CC prevention. i have never felt so comfortable eating out before!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Our server was unique and knowledgeable. GF baked chicken wings were delicious apps. Avoid fries, no GF fryer but other sides (rice/broccoli) were good. Limited to ice cream/sorbet as GF desserts.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Had the fish tacos gluten-free. Pretty good.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Good

Limited GF options but very nice and have a good understanding of celiac. All salads are safe with some modifications (removing bread, one of the dressings is not GF), fish tacos and the rest of the fish with some sauce switches are GF, and roasted wings are also. Shared fryer.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Good

Pretty disappointed. We visited the Kaanapali location. My daughter and I were SO limited. Being in Maui I wrongly thought we would have fresh fish options be bountiful. Boy was I wrong! She had to eat a Cesar salad and the fish tacos. Those were literally her only 2 options. We both ate the same thing but I at least could put the spicy sauce on the flavorless tacos. It was too spicy for her. I do not recommend this establishment for anyone with Celiac.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much/None

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Below Average

Another good monkeypod experience! Loved their lettuce wrap fish sandwich, their waiters are some of the most celiac educated I’ve seen - learned a new cross contamination fear when they told me I couldn’t have the broccoli side because it’s blanched in the ravioli water - yikes!!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings

• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions
• Staff will clean kitchen space or change gloves if asked

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for dinner
• Good for kids
• Good for lunch
• Good selection of healthy options
• Offers outdoor seating
• Reservations recommended

Cooked GF, DF, no nuts, no coconut, no sesame steak. Delicious!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Really enjoyed eating here. Happy hour prices are great. Wings and fish sandwich were tasty and able to be made GF.

Service was nice and understanding.

Famous for their Mai Tais.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Separate gluten-free menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

I got the burger without a bun which was delicious. Decent amount of gluten-free offerings. Waitress was very knowledgeable about celiac.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Delicious- server made sure to write gluten free on my order. I had the fish sandwich in a lettuce wrap and it was delicious. No specific gluten free menu. I am gluten intolerant.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Update: I went back and got the chicken wings and didn’t feel sick. I felt more confident because when they handed me the dish they would say “celiac safe…”. The staff was knowledgeable about cross contamination and what was gf. Since I get very sick and some of the reviews weren’t that great, I only got the caesar salad. I didn’t feel sick after eating that. My dad was riskier and got the chicken wings, deviled eggs, and fish tacos and didn’t feel sick. Mai tais are gf!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Nope. No designated GF menu and rely on disinterested servers to help choose wisely. I specified to the waiter that I needed gluten and dairy free. I orders the mixed green salad (sans goat cheese) and the corn chowder. Salad came out first with pieces of focaccia. I excused it and gave the bread to my fiancé. Chowder also came out with bread. I asked the server (not our waiter) to confirm that the soup was dairy and gluten free. Luckily I did because it indeed has gluten. Regular waiter seemed like he didn’t care. Needless to say, I left hungry, but I’ll 100% take that over getting sick. Steer clear of this place.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not at all

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Below Average

I went there twice. I was fine booth times. My server warned me about possible cross-contamination when I wanted to order the fries. I ended up ordering a salad with grill chicken. I also ordered the deviled eggs and the chowder. Everything was very tasty! The Mai Tai are out of this world!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Very very good fish tacos! I loved them! Big portions of fish and tasty sauces. It is VERY popular and busy. We got lucky and got in the wait list about 4:30 and therefore ate at a reasonable hour.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

I ate here twice and have had no problem. The staff was knowledgeable and helpful willing to double check with the kitchen I items that I had questions. With help from the staff, I ordered the chicken wings and kale salad which both were delicious. The next time I had dinner, the ribeye with veggies and jalapeño mashed potatoes which were super yummy.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

No Gf menu.... but a couple of options. I had the fish tacos. They were good and I did not get sick. This place is fun, but very loud.

Gf fish tacos, gf wings, and gf lobster deviled eggs.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Celiac friendly?

No

Celiac friendly?

No

Not many choices, flies all over outside,

Celiac friendly?

Yes

This place was amazing! The staff was very knowledgeable with celiac and the menu. They were able to make great suggestions and the meal was fantastic! I highly recommend!!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

On my visit in 2016, Monkeypod had a better celiac rating. On this trip I was apprehensive about dining at Monkeypod. We went once during happy hour when it wasn't busy. We had the deviled eggs & fish tacos. I didn't have any issues. When they're extremely busy, I could see there being an issue for those with celiac like myself.

food was stunning. I went here two times during my trip and was impressed.. my 2nd time however I ordered desert and while my server explained how careful they are with cross contamination, someone made a shortcut and scooped vanilla gelato with their chocolate malt gelato spoon - I got very sick. server felt horrible, but that doesn't fix the problem.

want to give this place a 5 star, but the gelato mix up cost me my final night and day on Hawaii.

they try very hard to be celiac friendly, but I am voting that they are not. first night girl offerred a dish with soy sauce, I avoided. second night the gelato... to be celiac friendly you really need to be on top of your game with knowledge and ensure they take every moment of your time there seriously.

Celiac friendly?

No

Really wanted to like this place, but the chicken wings barely had any meat on them and the fish tacos had very little seasoning outside the bushel of cilantro I had to pull off the top.

Celiac friendly?

No

Just got home from having dinner at monkey pod tonight. After speaking with the server (who was confident and knowledgable about celiac) he recommended the fish tacos which I noticed were on many prior ratings. They were pretty good and so far I have not gotten sick. I have 4 stars because although I enjoyed my meal, the fish could have been salted a little more, for my taste at least. I would go again, and I would recommend it to others!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Small portions, but I had the fish tacos, which were delicious and gf!

Our entire party got food poisoning (gluten free issues aside). We called back the next day to give a friendly heads up, and we were treated horribly, and we're treated like we were lying or ignorant.

1st timer: very limited options. Less than thrilled with having to deal with gluten free people. We ended up ordering between 3 of us: the chicken wings, the fish stew, chicken tacos and plain grilled chicken. That was about all that was available to us. So, maybe go to another restaurant that can be more accommodating. Tommy Bahamas and Ruth's Chris were awesome!!!

Celiac friendly?

No

We couldn't wait to return to Monkeypod on our recent trip. However, the last time we were there (3 years ago), I was just beginning my gluten-free life, and I wasn't nearly as sensitive or scared as I am now (you all understand if you are reading this), so I went there with trepidation.

I called ahead and got reservations for early evening - we prefer to eat outside, so I made it for 5:15pm. Lucky for us, that was still Happy Hour where drinks are discounted and most appetizers were 1/2 price! Yay.

I was informed by several staff members, including our very gluten-free proficient server, that the chicken wings AND sauce (I know...sauce - taziki !!!!) on the appetizer menu were completely gluten free, and that the grilled fish tacos on the regular menu were also gluten free. No substitutions needed.

The first time we went there this trip, I ordered both, and they were fantastic. I also had a few bites of ONE of the dishes on the Raw Bar Mix Plate my husband got (he's not GF) that was gf and tasted like a cold clam chowder - you could totally order just that part of the mix plate if you wanted some raw fish. Beware that the ahi poke has regular gluten-containing soy sauce, so it isn't safe for us.

The drinks are very special and unique at Monkeypod.

I ordered the Monkeypod Mai Tai - $12.50 regular price -

"Old Lahaina light rum and dark rums, lime, house-made macadamia nut orgeat, orange curacao, honey-lilikoi foam"

That honey-lilikoi foam - AMAZING!!!

We sat outside and were able to catch the most amazing sunset. A must if you are in the Wailea area, or even if you aren't. I'd travel from Lahaina to go there for lunch or dinner. Great, knowledgeable staff. They even reminded me several times that the other dishes on the table (my child's and my husband's) were NOT safe for me. Special care and attention for sure, and I was able to relax and enjoy my meal.

We actually went back again before we were done with our trip. We, again, sat outside. Different server, but again, very concerned for me and my well-being. Double-checked on a few things, and was gracious the whole time. Live music from inside was filtered outside and it was so relaxing.

The second time, I got a repeat of the first meal, but I changed drinks. I ordered the watermelon cocktail, which I can't find on the online menu, but it was there in the printed version at the restaurant. It was very refreshing!!!

You'll spend quite a bit here, but in my opinion, it was worth the peace of mind in knowing that the staff actually took it seriously.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Went here Oct 2014 with my family including 9-yr-old with Celiac. Server knowledgeable of gluten-free, cc, & celiac. My daughter had the chicken taco. Only mess up was when we got our uneaten items boxed up, they put her taco in with my son's burger (that was on a regular bun). Giving them the benefit of the doubt, it was just an oversight but none-the-less a little concerning that server had already forgotten out needs.

Waitstaff was surprisingly no help to us and made me have an uneasy feeling choosing what to eat other than the salads.

Celiac friendly?

No

Limited GF selection with no gf bread or buns. Staff was knowledgeable and helpful. Had the fresh fish (Mahi Mahi) tacos. I thought they were just okay. I wouldn't order them again.

limited selection with knowledgeable staff. no gluten free bread, buns, or pizza. Not sure if that was temporary or a change.

Fish tacos were the worst I've had in Hawaii. the mahi mahi was done perfect, but the dressing combo on the fish was tamatillo, cilantro, and avacodo, which to me diminished the taste overall

Fish Tacos and Wood Fired Wings are amazing! Super accommodating and friendly.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

No dedicated fryer. Server was very knowledgeable and fish tacos were great!

Great fish tacos and veggie sides. No dedicated fryer when we were there. Very knowledgable server.

Great wings. However, not sure what people mean by the prices being higher? Compared to the resort restaurants everything is pretty affordable. They have plenty of GF options and don't charge a premium to order these items.

GF wings to die for. While that would usually be enough said, it should also be mentioned that the staff are excellent and the chef is happy to provide detailed information as everything is locally sourced and made in the kitchen. Sure, prices are a little higher, but quality and live entertainment easily make up for it.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

They are aware of gluten and celiac, and even have a dedicated fryer. Their prices are high, and the selection is limited. They have a huge selection of beer, but no gluten free options.

The food was good but not anything special. Especially for the price. I agree the truffle fries were delish. I'd say go somewhere else though... Not super GF friendly.

They have GF Options but not many. Their truffle fries are GF and those were good. The fish tacos were good. Their fish is high quality and the avocado sauce added a nice flavor.